//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Can't Start a Fyre Without a Spark // by CarcinoFlavors //------------------------------// M. Cant Start a Fyre Without a Spark Pt.2 Spitfyre had woke up that morning excited; it was her birthday after all. When she came down stairs she tried in vain to get some information about the present she had asked for from her mom. When Blaze came home she was sure she was bound to get something totally awesome. But first there was breakfast. She began to quickly devour her meal until her mother caught her. “Slow down Spitfyre,” she said “i don’t want you to choke, and sit up straight, and when was the last time you brushed your mane young lady?” Spitfyre sighed it was mom being her usual self. She started eating slower to appease her mother. She could be so demanding sometimes. Just as she had finished, her mother told her to go outside. Spitfyre could tell something was wrong but she didn’t want to upset her father; after all she had promised to be a good pony on her birthday. So she got up quietly and hurried to the door. As soon as it shut behind her she carefully pressed her ear against it. “You’re retired Blaze, you’ve been retired for four years.” Her mother said. She sounded angry. Spitfyre was scared, her parents never got mad at each other. Ever! She kept listening. “Promise me you didn’t do any flying,” she heard her mother say, even angrier still. Flying? She had never seen her dad fly . She'd assumed that he was a horrible flier and was too embarrassed to do it around other ponies. Now she was intrigued, she had to know more. She pressed her whole body against the door hanging on every word. “DAMMIT BLAZE! YOU'RE NOT A WONDERBLOT ANYMORE!” her mother yelled.The exclamation was accompanied by a crash of thunder. The sheer surprise of it sent her spinning head over hooves. Spitfyre quickly jumped up and ran. It was all too much. Her mother had rarely ever raised her voice and she never ever swore. What if they hurt each other? she thought. What if they don’t love each other anymore and go away forever and leave me all alone? She kept running, all the while lost in her own fears. She felt tears running down her face, or was it rain? How far had she run? Where was she? There was a bright flash followed by a loud boom. Spitfyre was panicking. “Momma!, Momma!” she screamed, but her words were lost in the pouring rain and roaring thunder. She was in full on panic mode now. She began to run blindly, the rain stinging her face as she went. “MOMMA!, DADDY! ” she screamed at the top of her lungs over and over until her voice was hoarse and her throat, raw. Finally her tiny body gave out. Her hooves slipped from under her and she landed in the muddy ground with a splash. Her legs trembled in a feeble attempt to stand, and her whole body shook with fear. Spitfyre, too exhausted to rise, curled tightly into a ball, Hot tears flowing out of her eyes. She was sure she was going to die. She looked up and saw the gargantuan trees before her. She had run quite a long way if she was in the Everfree forest. There was a blinding flash followed by a blast of thunder that shook the very Earth she laid upon. There was a loud splintering noise; Spitfyre could hear it, but she was stunned by the lighting and couldn’t see. She forced herself back on her feet to flee, when something slammed roughly into her side sending her sprawling back to the earth. Just moments later there was a dull thud. Once again the earth shook. The thud was accompanied by a sharp, cracking noise followed by a cry of pain. Spitfyre struggled to her wobbly feet. There was a stinging pain in her hind leg that she had twisted funny when she fell and she was sore all over . In a daze she limped to the to the source of the scream willing her eyes to focus. It took precious seconds but before long she stumbled upon a grizzly scene that would haunt her for the rest of her life. *** Crystal didn’t know how long she had been searching, it seemed like ages since she had left the house, and ventured into the dreadful storm in search of Spitfyre. “SPITFYRE!” she called hoping that the little filly would here her over the raging storm. She refused to think of anything else except Spitfyre. Spitfyre was her daughter, her pride and joy, her everything, and she loved her more than life itself. Every muscle in her body ached and burned. but it didn’t matter. Only Spitfyre mattered. Her ears perked up. “Momma! Daddy!” She heard the faintest sound over the storm. It was Spitfyre! Crystal turned towards the sound with renewed energy beating her wings vigorously. “Hold on sweetheart." Crystal yelled, "I’m coming!” Soon the bright yellow filly came into view. A feeling of relief washed over Crystal she smiled and her heart felt at ease.The young filly seemed frightened, but unhurt. As Crystal headed towards her daughter, a huge bolt of lighting struck the tree in front of the sobbing filly, followed by a blast of thunder. Crystal watched in horror as the tree slowly began to topple in Spitfyre’s direction. Instinct kicked in. Without thinking Crystal took off, faster than she had ever flown before. She pushed her wings to the limit. Spitfyre was about a hundred yards away, but it felt like ten thousand. Everything happened so slowly. She reached Spitfyre just in time, tackling her out of the way, only to be too late to save herself. The tree caught her in the flank and smashed her into the ground with a sickening thud. White light exploded in her eyes and she screamed in agony. The pain was unbearable, it was like nothing she had ever experienced and it was all she could do to not slip into a fatal unconsciousness. She was gasping for breath unable to breathe with the weight off the tree bearing down on her. However she saw Spitfyre limp over towards her and she then she smiled weakly. She’s okay. Once she saw Spitfyre ,safe, standing before her she knew it was worth it. “I..I..” she started to say with the last of her breath. Everything was starting to melt away, the pain that was once so intense was so far away. “I......love....you” she gasped at last sighing and closing her eyes. Yes, it was worth it. *** Spitfyre watched in horror, paralysed with fear, unable to accept what had just happened. It was all her fault. If I hadn't have run away then...then. A fresh set of tears welled up in her eyes. “Mommy, please get up. Please. I’m scared.” she pleaded to her mother’s lifeless form “Please.” her pleading was broken by sobbing. She knelt down and hugged her mother, tears mixed with the rain rolling down her cheeks. Spitfyre suddenly became aware of another noise beside that of her own sobbing. She turned behind her to see Blaze gasping on the ground. “Dad!” she shouted turning her attention to her father “Daddy what’s wrong?” there was no response. She ran over to him. He was covered in cuts and bruises. his once illustrious coat and fiery mane were now covered in mud and flecks of blood. His hooves were cracked and bleeding, and blood was seeping from his muzzle. “No daddy not you too! It’s not fair. You can’t go too. I don’t wanna be alone.” Spitfyre whispered into his ear, “I don’t wanna be alone...” Blaze shuddered and his eyes grew dim and then finally closed “So alone...” *** Blaze opened his eyes and he was back in his comfy chair. He was slick with sweat and breathing hard. His head was spinning. Crystal was standing over him with a worried look on her face. Sunlight was pouring in through the windows behind her giving her a sort of ethereal appearance and illuminated everything in the room with a pale golden glow. Her bright yellow coat had turned a majestic gold in the light, and she seemed to float gracefully lime an angel. The angel spoke to him, “Blaze, honey, are you okay? You’re all sweaty. Were you having a nightmare?” Blaze shook his head still in a daze. Was it a dream? It had felt so real. His head swam and he could hardly remember anything. “Its okay now.” Crystal said to him, “Come here” Blaze stood and embraced his wife. She squeezed him tightly and he leaned in burying his face in her mane. She smelled fresh and clean and she was so peaceful. Blaze wanted to hold her there forever. He felt as if he let go he might never see her again. “I love you” he said and kissed her. But it felt wrong, everything felt wrong. He started to remembered something. “Where’s Spitfyre.” he said urgently. Crystal looked at him strangely “Spitfyre? Why she’s outside.” Blaze made a motion for the door when Crystal stepped in front of him. “No need to check on her. stay here with me.” she said slowly advancing toward him. Blaze began to back away, Crystal spoke to him again this time with a more sinister edge on her voice, “tell me you love me again.” “I love you and I've always loved you.” He said. She stopped. Then smiling once again wrapped her hooves around him. This time however it felt different, it felt fake, unreal. It felt like a dream. Suddenly the color began to fade from the room, and even from Crystal her once golden coat that had shimmered in the sunlight grew flat and lifeless. Blaze again became aware of a dull pain in his side and his mind began to focus. “This isn’t real” he said aloud. He pulled away from Crystal’s embrace “What are you talking about sweetheart?” Crystal responded “Of course its real.” “This isn’t real” He repeated the memories of what happened rushing back to him all at once. He remembered everything, the fight, the storm, Spitfyre missing, flying, and her. He remembered seeing Crystal’s broken body beneath the tree. The pain in his side became intense. Blaze’s eyes became wet, and the color drained from his face. “This isn’t real because you're.......” He couldn’t say it. The words wouldn’t come to him. “Dead?” she finished for him. “No Blaze i moved on, and I’ve come to get you so we can go together.” She said, her voice sweet and thick like honey. “But what about Spitfyre?” He said worried . “What about our daughter, Crystal?” “It’s out of our hooves now Blaze. Now come with me. We can be together forever. You won’t ever have to worry about pain again. You can FLY again Blaze don’t you want that?” She said holding her hoof out for him. Fly? Blaze thought. It was once the thing he thought gave his life meaning, what he lived for. I could fly again. He reached out for her hoof. and then stopped. He thought of something new. An image appeared in front of him. He saw a bright yellow filly staring up at him. He looked at her. Their eyes met and Blaze knew what he had to do. “No.” Blaze turned and took off towards to doorway leading out. The pain returned to him in full force and Blaze collapsed. “Come back, Blaze! I can make the pain end!” He heard the illusion of his wife call. Blaze staggered back to his hooves and headed to the door. It seemed to be impossibly far away stretching down an endless corridor. Blaze grit his teeth, every step was one step closer. In his head echoed his wife’s words, “DAMMIT BLAZE YOU AREN’T A WONDERBOLT ANYMORE!” “I HATE YOU!” screeched the illusion, “HATE! YOU!” Blaze felt teardrops roll down his face. It’s not real, it’s not real. He told himself, but it sure as hell still feels real. Every step was filled with writhing, agonizing pain that would have long since crippled any normal pony, but still Blaze continued. Every step was another knife in his side; another reason to give up and turn back. Still he continued. If he couldn’t fly then he would run, If he couldn’t run then he would walk, and dammit, if he couldn’t walk then he would crawl. There was a Fyre in his heart, and that's all that mattered . When he reached the door he was blind from pain. He tasted blood in his mouth and felt the stickiness of blood on his hooves. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pushed the door open. Light poured from the opening As light enveloped his body Blaze could have sworn he heard a new voice, one that broken and full of sadness “So alone.”