“During the reign of Dragons, there was a divide between flame ponies, those who sought to usurp the very creatures that brought us our power and those who sought to serve them faithfully. Lines were drawn, families split, and our ponies sought to dwell within the heart of Equestria as the Great Dragon Char had done. For countless ages we lived beneath earth, following in the old ways set by our forefathers in the efforts to stand as equals with our creators, seeking limitless strength and power to achieve this goal. It is now that we seek to reclaim our-”
“No! No, no! Not tonight! Back in the hole you go!”
Blight, the self proclaimed magma pony, felt my hooves take hold of her arms right in the middle of her proclamation. Turning her around on the spot before pushing her towards the deep hole she marched out of.
“What the buck are you doing?” Blight asked in confusion.
The magma soldier ponies looked on as their leader wrestled against the pushy flame pony who refused to allow her entrance to the fields above or even finish her declaration.
At this time every flame pony from the carnival had come to see what had happened, while Sapphire watched how desperately I wanted to salvage our night.
“I demand-” Blight shouted, freeing herself from my grasp. “To see the King of the Flame Ponies this instant!”
“He’s busy at the moment!” I shouted back wrestling with her.
“How dare you touch me with your weak flames!”
Our struggle continued. Feeling that both our nights had been ruined. This magma pony’s grand entrance into Equestria and my date with Sapphire being interrupted for the upteenth time.
Sapphire looked on in wonder and disappointment at these new breed of flames ponies, but also that this had come at the most inopportune time.
“Well I can see that first impressions are going well.” Pyre stated.
Sapphire glanced over to see Wick and Pyre coming up alongside her. They peered down into the pit seeing the two respective lords of their kingdoms wrestle with each other trying to force the other back.
“They said that they were magma ponies.” Sapphire informed them.
“Now that is interesting, I’ve never heard of a magma pony before.” Pyre replied.
“Surprised we haven’t smelled them until now.” Wick quipped.
Blight and Smolder were now almost out of breath attempting to force one another back, having shown great restraint from using either of their respective flames to get their point across.
“Smolder! This isn’t how we treat royal guests from neighboring kingdoms! As a King you should be welcoming them to our home!” Pyre called out.
Blight was able to throw me off, trying her best to compose herself once more, looking flustered by the unorthodox way I tried to thwart her.
“I demand to be taken to your King!” Blight insisted. “So help me if you even lay one hoof on me again I will rip that horn right off of you!”
“Oh right away your worshipfulness!” I said sarcastically.
I trotted in a circle rolling my eyes heavily before stopping where I started.
“Lord Smolder, King of the Ashen Fields, at your service my lady!”
“What-” Blight exclaimed. “You?”
“Yes me! Now kindly take you and your army back to where it is you came from! You’re ruining everything!”
“Ruining- I came here to challenge the King of the flame ponies for the right of rulership!” Blight shouted.
“At ten oclock at night?” I shouted back.
There was a long pause between us. Blight looked relatively confused by my remark. Looking towards one of her soldiers for help, he provided nothing but a shrug. Pursing her lips, Blight flushed ever so slightly.
“What’s... ten oclock mean?”
I blinked a few times. “It’s what time it is.”
Blight pursed her lips tighter, revealing she had no concept of the time I was trying to get across to her.
“It’s nighttime! When ponies go to sleep!” I shouted in disbelief.
“Ah!” Blight shouted, having understood. “The rest cycle!”
“The rest cycle- Look! You already ruined one of our main attractions for our carnival! Can you at least come back tomorrow before you ruin the rest of our night?”
Blight looked to one of her soldiers again, who in turn shrugged. Once more the magma mare pursed her lips looking annoyed by the words I was using.
“C-C-Carnival?”
Before I could unleash the tirade of hysterical comments I planned to throw her way, Wick and Pyre had descended into the pit to join me in welcoming our newest guests.
“On behalf of the Ashen Fields, we would like to welcome our brethren, the magma ponies, into our kingdom.” Pyre said respectfully.
“If it would be to your liking, my Lady, we will escort you to our castle to which we can discuss your presence here further without the onlookers.” Wick added.
“I am here to challenge the king of the flame ponies!” Blight shouted in annoyance.
Magma churned at the base of her mane. Her fire flaring wildly. The snort she let out hissed like steam.
“I refuse!” I shouted back.
“Enough!” Blight declared.
A pair of magma soaked wings sprouted from Blight’s back, surprising nearly everypony. Upon her head the magma twisted itself into a horn that pulsed violently with magic.
The ground beneath Blight spewed fire and ash, breaking open from the magical power she was building.
Without a second thought my body exploded into the fiery white flames of the Phoenix. It’s cry shrieked in protest at Blight’s posturing which shocked both her and the magma ponies from its emergence.
“What-what was that?” Blight questioned.
“That… was my new hoodie! Smolder you son of a—“
Wick put me in a headlock and was doing his best to rip my head from my shoulders. Mercilessly grinding his hoof into the side of my head and questioning my ability to respect other pony’s property.
“I’m sorry! It just happened!” I pleaded to him.
Wick was having none of it, trying to wrestle me to the ground to avenge his fallen apparel.
“You are… siblings?” Blight asked, trying to make sense of us.
“Quite right, my Lady. Elder brothers to the King.” Pyre reported, ignoring Wick’s attempts to remove my head.
Blight’s posturing subsided, as did her flames. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it go. Her wings and her horn returned to a magma like state before retreating back into her hide.
“Do you have siblings, my Lady?” Pyre questioned.
“That is unimportant. Have your brother concede his right to the throne to me and I will spare him his life.” Blight offered, as if giving the Twins an out.
“Bring it! Sulfur breath!” I shouted.
Wick and Pyre were now struggling to keep me quiet to prevent me from escalating the situation further.
“My lady, if you would please consider—“
“Enough! You shall address me as Blight of Dragon’s Ridge, champion of the Magma Dome, slayer of the Wicked Worm, destroyer of the Howling Drake, and ruler of the Kingdom of Muspell!”
The army of magma ponies cheered in her declaration, showing great admiration for their leader. There was audible heckling that floated down from the top of the ridge in protest of such cheering from the flame ponies that had gathered round.
“Such meager titles…”
Princess Sapphire had floated down from the ridge gliding elegantly to where we were. Wick and Pyre stepped back to allow Sapphire to take point, placing herself beside me and staring down this intruder.
It was clear that no magma pony had ever seen an ice pony before, although their looks of surprise were soon met with jeers and laughter. Blight seemed almost repulsed by her.
“What are you supposed to be?” Blight asked.
“I beg your pardon?” Sapphire snapped.
“She is Princess Sapphire Flurry, ruler of the Frozen North, planeswalker, oblivion chaser, and the Chosen Speaker of spirits!” I declared.
From up above there was an explosion of cheers that rained down for Sapphire, who in turn flushed at such admiration from our own flame ponies.
It was clear that the support received from the flame poneis above had an impact on Blight. I could sense that our own flame pony pride was very much alive in these magma ponies and that it might even have more power over them than fire alone.
“Fancy words only make small achievements seem grander.” Blight struggled to counter such claims. “A pony born of such weak elements doesn’t impress me.”
“Then perhaps you would rather be eclipsed by the accomplishments of a real flame pony?” Sapphire asked coldly.
Blight’s hiss towards Sapphire was akin to water instantly vaporizing on a hot pan.
“Here stands before you the descendant of Lord Smoke, the Dragon Rider. The successor to the throne of the Mad King Scorch. Conqueror of Spider Queens. Victor over the War with the Orc. Champion of the Elder Dragon Char. Godslayer of the dark spirit Nadir. Savior of a world beyond the veil of time and space. The Lord of the Ashen Fields and all of its flame ponies, Smolder the Phoenix King.”
The uproar of cheers and applause from the flame ponies above was enormous. Their voices alone shook the ground beneath us.
The magma pony soldiers were whispering amongst themselves over such claims, unsure of what some meant, and skeptical of the others. None seemed so shaken by such claims than that of Blight, who stared at this young flame pony colt in quiet fury.
“Godslayer?” I whispered to Sapphire.
“Chosen Speaker of spirits?” Sapphire whispered back.
Blight pursed her lips looking between the two of us, not only feeling outnumbered, but the potential to be outdone by two armies.
“Are you two... lovers?” Blight asked.
The audible gasp that cut through every single pony above us left the entirety of the Ashen Fields in deathly silence. Sapphire and I stood frozen on the spot, unable to move or speak, our faces burning in embarrassment.
Blight chuffed. Looking almost impressed by us.
“A strategic move to get in bed with a neighboring kingdom to bolster your forces. I commend you for being so dedicated to the survival of your realms through mutual copulation to produce an heir that would bridge-”
A tremendous roll of thunder erupted from Sapphire’s stormy mane while the fire of the phoenix screeched interrupting Blight’s erroneous statement of us. This had everypony laughing and whistling at our embarrassment, knowing how close Blight had come to hitting the nail on the head.
“Smolder,” Pyre mumbled to me from over my shoulder. “It would be best to conclude this within the castle and minimize the violital situation this has become.”
Swallowing what little pride I had left, I mustered up the courage to speak again.
“Blight of Moose-spell—“
“Muspell!”
“Right…” I mumbled in annoyance. “It’s clear we have our differences and our similarities. You have your way of doing things, as do we.”
“Your point?” Blight retorted.
I looked back at all my flame ponies near the ridge, I could see General Ray Horizon and Academy Leader Flare Fizzle assessing the situation and already organizing a counter offensive if things turned south.
“Tonight…” I began. “Is a celebration of our ponies.”
Blight seemed to be listening.
“Tonight was meant to cherish our heritage, our culture, and look towards a brighter tomorrow.” I continued. “Tonight is still a celebration of our ponies. If you would allow us the honor of welcoming you… home.”
My words seemed to have put Blight in a rather difficult spot once more. No flame pony above was dressed for war and the sight of foals and fillies was enough to unnerve even the hardest of her soldiers who knew what they’re presence here was for.
“You would… welcome us?” Blight questioned.
“We know what it’s like to be… separated from others. If your lordship would permit us the chance to open a-” I paused looking to Pyre for help.
“Dialogue.” Pyre whispered.
“...dialogue between our two families.”
It appeared that there was more going on than a simple misunderstanding of ancient bureaucracy that kept us from being able to settle things peacefully. I could see the look of panic Blight wore, her own magma ponies beginning to murmur amongst themselves. I could sense that old flame pony pride may be still a very strong part of their culture.
“Smolder,” Pyre whispered. “Postpone the fight until after the festivities.”
It seemed that Pyre knew more about the situation than I did, having asked me to postpone the fight rather than disagree with it altogether.
“If we are to fight, I would prefer it to be on a day where we are not celebrating our shared history.” I added.
As if I had given her a small peace offering, Blight immediately jumped upon this.
“Out of respect for your ‘carnival’, I shall postpone our fight to determine who is best suited to rule over our two families.” Blight stated.
“Wait what?”
Before I was able to question it further, Wick and Pyre were quick to approach Blight offering an array of comforts that awaited her and the magma ponies she brought.
From above, General Ray Horizon and Academy Leader Flare Fizzle flew down to meet with Sapphire and I. Dressed in their armor, they were quick to mobilize our own forces while our talks were going on.
“I can have our troops on standby, my Lord. Hard to say how we’ll fare against our own kind.” Ray reported.
“It’s unclear how different our two kin are, but an all out fight would be disastrous with so many civilian ponies around. Although, it appears you’ve already managed to settle things down.” Flare remarked, noticing the laxed way the magma pony soldiers were.
“We’ve come to a sort of… agreement. Please stand down your troops, General. If their pride is anything like ours, they will not start any trouble unless provoked.” I replied.
“Understood, sir.” Ray saluted.
Taking off into the sky, Ray disappeared from view flying towards the fields to carry out my request. I turned to Flare to ask something of her.
“If you could find Ms. Fleece, Commander, I believe we could use her help welcoming our long lost brethren home tonight.”
“Of course.” Flare replied.
No sooner had Flare stepped away did we feel a sudden updraft from the space next to us as Summer appeared in a flash of fire from her magic. She looked concerned at the events that had transpired.
“Summer? Why are you here?” Sapphire asked curiously.
“What do you mean? The ground caves in, ponies from beneath the earth marching on a warpath and you’re asking me why I’m here?” Summer asked defensively.
“Yeah, but where’s Bleak? I asked.
Summer flushed considerably. “N-N-None of your business! I only answer to the Princess.”
“Where’s Bleak?” Sapphire asked for me.
Summer’s mane flared looking absolutely frustrated with the both of us as we smiled teasingly at her.
“We… should be getting back to the castle,” Flare mumbled.
Sapphire and I looked dismayed at the idea, although it was cemented at the sudden calls from the Twins for my presence.
“You’ll need to play host to this… magma pony then, Lord Smolder. First impressions aside, you’ll need to ensure that things go over smoothly with this new integration.” Sapphire said.
Just like that our date was over, our night ruined, and there was little we could do other than part ways as things were.
Unfortunately, I didn’t respond. I tried to speak but all I wanted was to ask Sapphire to stay even with the persistent calls of the Twins to have me come over.
“Thank you for tonight, Smolder. It was…” Sapphire began. “...cool.”
My heart jumped. It was the dumb thing I always said when I couldn’t put thoughts to words. Yet, Sapphire said it ironically, as if almost suggesting that it was something much more personal to her.
Summer motioned for Sapphire to follow her and she began to move, but my heart told me to stop her.
I reached out, taking her hoof and without much of a plan kissed her cheek.
Sapphire flushed a deep shade of purple, almost trembling as she did her best to speak, but could not find the words. I parted slowly, doing my best to keep my voice from trembling.
“See you… tomorrow, Sapphire.” I said softly.
Summer cleared her throat causing me to release Sapphire’s hoof, realizing that I was making a scene. Summer glared at me through narrowed eyes, as if warning me that such familiarity would be heavily scrutinized while she was around.
The two quickly parted together leaving me staring after them, wishing that I had the nerve to really kiss her then and there.
I felt a shoulder bump on my side followed closely by another on the opposite. The Twins standing between me, having watched Sapphire leave as well.
“Congratulations, Smolder.” Wick said. “Almost made it to first base.”
I nearly barked at them in frustration, unable to form cohesive words to refute their judgement of my approach to Sapphire.
“Yes, congratulations on winning the heart of the Ice Princess of the North, little brother.” Pyre agreed. “But next time don’t play it safe. Just kiss the mare.”
“I-I-I would have if…” I began feeling my face burn hot.
“You don’t have to convince us, little brother. We believe you. Don’t we, brother mine?” Pyre asked, rolling his eyes.
“Oh, definitely. Our brother was definitely going to do it.” Wick mocked me.
“I’m serious!” I insisted.
“Sure you were...” Wick muttered.
“I was!”
Captain Lucid Prism stood patiently within the main chambers of the King and Queen’s bedroom. Her posture was at attention, awaiting her Lord to address her. A slight tremble of anticipation kept her from remaining her cold and collected self. Her lidded gaze made the corners of her eyes appear sharp, her small smirk was as if somepony had shipped at it with the finest chisel. Her devotion to her Prince was near obsessive, as was her desire to prove herself capable.
Lord Acrylic had yet to acknowledge her, having only requested her presence, but not her voice. He took his time rummaging through the things of his recently deceased parents. Not having any sense of urgency to his method of search, but just a keen fascination of the trinkets his eyes passed over.
“Captain,” the Prince addressed aloud after a time.
“My Lord.” Captain Prism answered immediately.
He slowly turned to her, his attention to the glass figurine he held, as if admiring it. He placed the figurine down upon the shelf he had taken it from and walked towards her. Passing by her without any glance to her straight forward gaze, the Prince began to skim through the bookshelves behind her.
“To whom do you serve?” the Prince questioned.
“The Royal Family, my Lord.” she replied instantly.
Acrylic removed a tome off the shelf, casually glancing it over before returning it again. “I have just removed the two figure heads of this Royal family,”
Acrylic strayed across the room, still searching for something, but still holding the conversation.
“Any thoughts you’d wish to express?”
It was hard for the Captain to contain the smile that forced its way across her face. It was happening.
“Only that I wish to pledge fealty to you, my Lord. Long live the King.” Captain Prism stated.
“Wonderful.” Acrylic chimed picking up a small wooden box for the shelf. “Please raise General Moat from his rest and bring him to me. I wish to tell him the news of their passing in person.”
“At once, my Lord.” Captain Prism responded.
She turned to her Prince, bowing to him and headed for the door. Her heart pounding in her chest at what was to come.
“Oh and Prism,” Acrylic called out to her.
Turning on a dime, Captain Prism bowed her head to her Prince once more. “Yes, my Lord?”
“Call upon Jenna as well and have her wait for me in my chambers.” He requested.
A flash of jealousy came over her, “The peasant?”
Just as quickly as her jealousy over this mare had come, it was replaced by a sudden wave of fear as she raised her head to see her Prince standing before her.
Both eyes teemed with powerful blue magic that rotated within his pupils, a cold aura of emptiness enveloped her, and discipline was always administered for such reamrks.
“Peasant?” Acrylic asked.
“M-M-My mistake, my Lord. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.” Captain Prism pleaded.
“Jealousy is what makes you so dependable, Captain Prism. If it eases your heart, know that I will be leaving her tonight.”
Captain Prism lifted her head up, smiling wide at the news, but found Acrylic still staring coldly at her. His sudden step forward had her leaning back from his aggressive stance.
“And I will cut it out if I ever hear you utter anything unkind about her again. In or out of my presence, I will cut you. Slowly.”
Acrylic’s enhanced blue eyes danced wildly at her. Captain Prism nodded her head in understanding, unable to mutter a word out of the fear she felt of him.
His hoof traced the sharp angles of her face. Pausing at her chin as if taking a moment to admire her thin lips. Her face flushed at his touch, heart racing at what it meant, but Acrylic gently tossed her face to the side.
“Now get out of here.”
Captain Prism quickly bowed to him. Her departure was punctuated by the hinge of the room’s doors clanging to a close. Acrylic looked down at the box he was still clutching, his magic levitated it from under his arm and out before him. The lock within clicked, creaking the small box open as a soft blue hue poured from it.
The mere sight of it had the Prince looking sick to his stomach. Having to snap the lid shut, his magic failing as the box clattered to the ground. Prince Acrylic lowered his head, clutching his chest feeling his anxiety surge over what the box held.