//------------------------------// // Chapter 13.) Flashbacks // Story: Blaze // by Blazing_Mane01 //------------------------------// My eyes dialated. I dared not turn around, because what if my dream was true? I could sense the monster staring at my back. It then made a low-pitched groan that shook the very ground. This caught the rest of the ponies' attention, as I watch them look up simultaneously. A bad case of shivers had developed in my system, and all I wanted to do was scream. So I wanted to make use of it. "...E-eve-ry p-p-pony..." I shuddered. At the sound of my whispering, the shadow began to stir and make movements with its limbs as if picking itself up. That was the end of the fuse. "RRUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNN!!!!" Every mare in the room, except the princess, broke into respective high-pitched screams that could make you go deaf, and full-out gallops toward the busted entrance, Fluttershy with a big head start. Only the princess looked to still be in control of herself. I started to fly after them immediately. During those two seconds, the Ursa began to stand and roar, making the girls shout even more. Once we were out of and away from the castle a good ways, the shadow finished destroying the structure with a powerful shock wave emitted from its mouth. Celestia shot a glance back just in time to watch the rest of her throne fall. She gasped and turned her head quickly, eyes shut, and continued to run blind for a few seconds before she opened them again. Then I remember something that completely slipped my mind at the moment. "The Elder!!" Everypony looks back at me when I said that. Apparently, they forgot about him, too. I skid to a gradual halt, turn around, and start heading toward the beast. "No, wait!" Twilight and Celestia said in unison, "It's too dangerous!!" "Then keep going! I'll catch up with you later!" I shouted back, but I knew they weren't going to buy it. At least not Rainbow Dash. "Blaze, wait up!" The sky-blue mare yelled back at me. She then shot herself toward me and attempted to cut me off, but I expected that and I'm also pretty agile so I weaved right past her. But we all know Rainbow will be persistent. Following a series of more dodging the rainbow pony, Celestia herself finally catches up to end my trip. Knowing dishonoring the princess is unacceptable, my legs again slid to a stop, but my mind was three minutes ahead of me. "Why must you keep going against me!? We're obviously going the same way again!" I turn my head to find the other ponies, some of which were short on breath. I'm also slightly tired. "I've had enough of your arrogance, Blaze." the princess didn't look very patient. "Your elder is gone now. Accept it, and let's get out of here." "I'm not quitting until I find his dead body, then!" "BLAZE!!" Celestia was about to explode. "I can't let you go back there!" "Why not, princess?" At my question, her apparent rage turned into a gasp, and she then closed her eyes and hung her head. Confused, I tilt my head, and the others are behind me now, also pondering upon what is happening to Princess Celestia. "...Because..." She didn't continue. That only made me more impatient, and even angrier. "Because WHAT!?" "Because..." It looked like may have been on the verge of tears. She sounded like it; she choked over her words that time. I realize now that I must've insulted the princess! I quickly bow extra-low and clean up my tone. "No, no, don't say it... I'm sorry." Celestia only shook her head and said in her still-choky voice, "Blaze, you don't have to bow to me..." "But, Princess Celestia --" "No, Blaze. I don't want it!" Celestia's face looked slightly wet, and as she turned her head again it sprinkled a little on my face. "Not from... ... ...my nephew..." A couple seconds passed, then everypony gasped in unison. Apparently they understood her words faster than I did. It wasn't until Twilight Sparkle said something that my jaw joined everypony else's at the floor. "That settles it! Blaze! You're an heir of the Royal Family!" I couldn't think of anything to say. Me, royalty!? But I've been living in that village since my birth! "Whoa..." my lips eventually formed. "That's... unreal. It's impossible. I was born and raised in my home village!" "Those must be false memories, then." Twilight continued. "Celestia never lies." Having regained her strength, the princess stepped in, "You were given life from my sister, Princess Luna." "But..." I couldn't conceive how I was put in this scenario. "If that's true, then... How'd I end up in the village?" "Maybe this will help you..." Celestia started to walk toward me. When she stopped, her horn began to radiate a beautiful color of yellow. She then tapped her horn with mine, and I stumbled back and whited out. "Come on, Ivory! You can do better than that!" It was me as a young colt running around a yard. A HUGE yard. Faded Ivory was huffing and puffing, trying to catch me. "No way, Blaze!" she said in between heavy breaths. "You're too fast!... You being royalty... You're stronger than me!" "Aww, but I'm booorrred..." She sat down. "Well I'm sorry. Put a simple earth pony with an alicorn? I'll never catch you!" "Well..." I said as I pondered what to do. "Let's go back to the castle! We can play hide-and-seek!" An adorable filly Faded Ivory smiled and sighed, "Okay, Blaze. You win." I took off toward the castle, laughing. Ivory took her sweet time catching up with me. A whole minute had passed by the time she got to the front door. Her sea-green coat was slightly dirty, and her milk-white mane and tail were a little frazzled. "What took you so long?" "Stupid yard! Thing's huge!" "Well, when you're ready, start counting! I'll go hide!" "All right, all right." I was brimming with energy. I didn't want to wait for Ivory to be her patient self. She then put her hooves over her eyes and began, "One... Two... Three..." I bolted down the hallways and the aisles, upstairs and downstairs, all while dodging other ponies with royal business. I was proud. I told myself I wasn't going to bump into anypony, but I turned my head while cutting a corner and ran right into my aunt's forelegs. I slammed the back of my head against the tile floor and saw stars for a while. "Oh! Excuse me, Blaze!" Aunt Sunnie stepped back. I opened my eyelids and unfolded my wings in response. My eyes couldn't focus on the big white stallion. Auntie saw this, giggled, and lent a hoof for assistance. "Sorry, Aunt Sunnie. I was playin' hide-and-seek with Ivory. I was gonna hide in the ballroom." "Well, well, is that so?" She smiled and lowered her eyelids just a bit. "Okay, you two have fun, all right?" "I will, but Faded Ivory's gettin' all sluggish again!" I stomped my hooves lightly on the innocent floor. "Hmmhmm... Blaze, please remember that she's not like you. She won't be able to play for as long as you can. But, when she goes home for the night, I'll be in my room so if you get lonely or wanna play some more, just drop by!" She tilted her head and winked. "Wow! Thank you, Aunt Sunnie!" " 'Sunnie' will do just fine, Blaze. Have fun!" "Okay!" I bounced and sped past her into the ballroom. I felt her eyes follow me until I passed a corner in the hallway.