//------------------------------// // (Tale#5)Pony......ta? // Story: The Alchemist's Tales // by DVAN56 //------------------------------// Pony.........Ta? I was heading back home from Zecora's. It was one of the few days I had off from both Ember research and babysitting. So I figured I would go to the one, and only, zebra I knew that made the best damn tea I have ever had. That plus I find the way Zecora always rhymes when talking to be relaxing as well. All and all it was a very relaxing day. It was what I found on the way back that sent my day from relaxing to hectic. I was on my way back home when I saw what I thought was an oversized pony that was laying on its side. Her cream colored body was dirty and bruises could be seen through the coat. Her mane and tail danced with red and yellow coloring as if they were on fire. I was very surprised when I went to pick her up that the mane and tail was actually fire. Also discovered that this pony was in fact a “her” and she was clearly in need of some help. It took me a little while to figure out a way to get her on my shoulders without burning myself. It was no easy task and in the end I burnt my hands up petty good. She was surprisingly light considering she was about the same size as Luna. I headed straight to Fluttershy's cottage. It wasn't the hospital but Fluttershy could fly to the hospital and bring back help faster then I could get this pony there. I fell down exhausted once I got to Fluttershy's, the injured pony rolled off my shoulders. Her tail landed right onto my shoulder. I screamed in pain from the burn I received. Fluttershy was quick to come out and see what I was screaming about. She gasped at the sight and quickly ran back into her house. She came back out with a box of medical supplies. She set the box next to us. I waved her off to get help while I started to fix myself up. There was something off about this pony, other then its size and flaming mane. It was like something was there that didn't want to be seen. It was as if what was there was staying just out of the reach of my senses. Fluttershy was back within a few minutes with Nurse Redheart and a stretcher crew. Redheart examined the mysterious pony at first before giving a nod to the stretch crew to lift her. Everyone was surprised but me when the stretcher burst into flames once it came in contact with the flaming mane. “You, go to the library and get Twilight.” Redheart commanded as she pointed to one of the members of the stretch crew. He took off sprinting, he was fast for a unicorn too. As soon as the that unicorn was out of sight the mysterious flaming maned pony woke up. It bolted to its feet. Its sudden action took us all by surprise. It was clear that it was also surprised to see us. All of us were just staring at each other till Fluttershy broke the silence. “Are you ok mama? What is your name?” she asked. “Ponyta” the pony replied. “That's a wonderful name.” Fluttershy responded. “Pony Pony Ponyta.” “Oh your poor thing. Don't worry we will get you all fixed up.” “Ponyta!” the pony with the flamed mane said happily. “Don't worry we can get you food too. What would you like?” “Ponyta” “I think I have a few berries in the house, hang on one minute.” With that Fluttershy went off into her house. She came back out with a bowl full of blackberries. The flamed maned ponies eyes grew wide at the dish and she started eating the berries virtuously. “Um Fluttershy, how did you know what she was saying?” I asked. I was clearly confused by the display that just happened in front of me. “What do you mean, Ponyta spoke just fine.” “Fluttershy, dear all she said was Ponyta” Nurse Redheart added. “No she's not” Fluttershy said “Ponyta!” Ponyta yelled out then went back to eating the berries. “See, she even agrees with you” Fluttershy said proudly not realizing what she just said. Nurse Redheart and I stared at her for a moment before Fluttershy realized what she said. When she did she looked at Ponyta. “Oh....my” is all Fluttershy said. “So that means this oversized pony is actually an animal?” spoke the other unicorn that was part of the stretcher crew. Twilight showed up a moment later and I made my leave and headed home. Yes this new pony was a curious thing but not quite my field of studies. I didn't see any reason for me to actually stay. Did my good deed for the day, now to finish enjoying the rest of my day off. I mean what could happen. One would think that with all the mishaps that happened to me before coming to Equestria, and the mishaps that happen here, that I would not say or think “what could happen”. But I did, and fate answered the call and “made shit happen”. Two steps down the path away from Fluttershy's house I hear the hum of magic coming from Twilight's horn. Five steps down the path and I hear the screams of ponies coming from behind me. Before I can even turn around, Ponyta took off running right past me right into town. Her speed was fast, I mean really fast. She could easily outrun Rainbow Dash, and maybe even keep up with Dash when she is flying. I turn back to see three shocked ponies. Redheart and Fluttershy had a scared look of shock about them, while Twilight was only slightly taken back. She looked at me and gave a small a weak smile. “He,he, I think I scared her.” Somewhere between the time my back was turned and the moment Twilight spooked Ponyta with her magic, the two unicorns that were part of the stretcher crew were gone. Where and how I don't know. In fact I haven't seen those two unicorns since that day. O well. But to the matter at hand. There is now a spooked oversized pony that has a flaming mane and tail, is an animal in mind, and its running right into town. That is surprisingly normal for Ponyville. “Ok, Twilight, Fluttershy with me. We got a pony that needs taming before she burns the town down.” I told them. The three of us ran to town. It didn't take us long but it was clear that Ponyta was here. Ponyville got lucky that day. Ponyta's mane and tail had in fact done what I feared would happen and caught things on fire as she passed by. The only reason the town didn't burn is thanks to Rainbow Dash and her weather team. Best weather team in Equestria hands down. We started to run faster after seeing the pegasi working to keep the flames under control. Lucky for use we still had a trail of burnt spots to follow. I just hope we can catch this pony before she does more harm. We followed the trail to the other end of town. Of all the places hit by Ponyta's fire, Rarity's boutique was hit the hardest. “WAAAAAAAA!” came a scream that could only belong to Rarity herself. Twilight and I ran into the burnt building. The fires were out but it was clear the place was going to need to be rebuilt. All her dresses and fabrics half burnt or completely ashed. The walls charred and the windows broken. Rarity however was staring at her gem box and it's spilt contents. At first both Twilight and I are worried that Rarity may be going into her “drama queen” mode. This however was not the case. As I get closer I see what has Rarity screaming. The gems are crushed, some even to the point of being a powder. I know Rarity's taste in gems, she only gets the best. I'm talking real diamonds. No fire turns diamonds to dust, heck it takes another diamond to even cut a diamond. To think that something came through here that could crush a diamond into dust was actually a little frightening I'll admit. “Spilt gems, really Rarity!” Twilight scowled. She apparently didn't noticed the gems that were crushed. “Twilight, you and Fluttershy need to find Ponyta. I need to check something.” I said with a little worry in my voice. I left the boutique and started running to my house. The town was now in a new form of danger. Diamonds are the only thing harder then Ember, and the secret of destroying Ember safely is a secret the goblins of my world guarded fiercely. Any attempt to break or destroy Ember had ended with very explosive and deadly results. It was actually outlawed in the major cities of my world for non-goblins to try and break Ember for the amount of damage it can cause. It was the one fact that I forgot about since being in Equestria. I felt like such an idiot for forgetting such an important fact for so long. I get to my house and my fears start coming true. There is burnt grass all around my house yet the house itself looked untouched. I walked in and was quickly relieved. The house was intact still. I was about to head to the study to grab the Ember till we find this crazy pony. That is when I heard her. “Ponyta” It came from just outside on the back side of the house. However it sounded sad, not frightened like I thought it would be. I went outside and to the back. There I saw Ponyta laying on the ground, she was crying. I get closer and she doesn't move, she doesn’t even notice me. As I walk closer I start thinking. She is clearly bigger then a normal pony, faster too. She has a mane and tail made of fire and no cutie-mark. She has the mindset of an animal and was scared by magic. She is clearly not a pony from Equestria but maybe, like me, a being from another world. That doesn’t make sense though. The Princesses are on quick to respond to rifts opening. However no one is perfect and this my be a rare miss on their part. Its not like they would let one slide because it opened in the Everfree. Either way, Ponyta is scared and possible alone in a new world. “Hey” I said. She didn't get up but she looked at me, our eyes met, and then blackness. I didn't faint or get knocked out. No I was actually very much awake and a little freaked out. Then the scenery changed. I was standing in a stadium of some sort. The bleachers filled with people, actual human beings. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, sure enough I wasn't. The field in the stadium was marked off into sections, as if for some sport. However there were only three people on the field. One was on one end of the field with another on the opposite end, and the last in the middle. The person in the middle spoke first while giving a hand signal. What he said I don't know, couldn't understand the language. But if I had to guess I would say it was “begin”. Immediately the two on opposite ends of the fields throw out a ball that was half red and half white. Then the balls hit the ground, they opened with burst of red light. Where the balls once were were two creatures. One looked like a huge snake made of rocks, the other was to my surprise Ponyta. Next the two humans on the end of the field started yelling out and the creatures started acting as if being commanded. The Ponyta and the rock snake began to fight one another. The fight itself was oddly beautiful. Both combatants were highly trained as they dodged and struck out at one another. It was hard to tell which one was winning. Then Ponyta got careless and was hit by the rock snake's massive tail, the force of which sent her flying onto the side of the stadium wall. Debris and dust went flying in the air from the impact. When the dust settled there was Ponyta, laying on the ground bruised and batted in the same way I found her. Then the ground around her started glowing blue and she started to sink into the ground. At this the people in the stadium started to panic. This was clearly not normal. The person who had the ball that Ponyta came out of yelled something as he held the ball and pointed it towards Ponyta. A red beam shot out from the ball heading straight for Ponyta. The beam never made it to her but was stopped by a unicorn I was hoping never to see again. Murphy appeared out of no where, the beam of light was redirected to his broken horn. Murphy just laughed in a maniacal way. He then started speaking in the same language as the people here. What ever he said it took the stadium by storm. There was a sudden roar of anger coming from everyone. Then Murphy looked at me. “Well this has been fun” he said smiling evilly. “Its rare that I get to even act in Equestria, rarer still to act on other worlds. To the viewer of this memory give this message to Celestia. 'nos viam inveniret '” With that I found myself back in my backyard in Ponyville. I was surrounded by Twilight, Fluttershy, and Celestia oddly enough. It was also now dark, maybe even midnight. Ponyta instantly fell asleep when I came back to reality. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. “So Alchemist what happened?” Celestia asked sounding a little worried. “I don't know our eyes met then I started seeing things. Memories I think” I said then told them all I saw before that trip ended. Again words I don't understand seamed to shock Celestia. She knows what is going on and I don't like the fact that she is not sharing. Next time I go to Cantorlot I'm asking her what those words meant and how she knows Murphy. As Celestia flew off my mind was brought back to the sleeping Ponyta. She was in fact from another world. But the question on my mind now is what to do with her. She was in fact an animal of some sort, the display in the memory proved that to me. But for now I think I will just let her sleep there for now. Fluttershy and I can deal with this in the morning. The next day came and I went out to find Ponyta still sleeping where I left her. I went up to her and gave her a nudge. She woke slowly and stared at me. I put a leash on her to lead her to Fluttershy's. To my surprise she didn't resist. The trek to Fluttershy's was uneventful and Ponyta came peacefully. She came staring at me with sad eyes though. “Fluttershy, We're here!” I yelled as I came up to the cottage house. Fluttershy came out. The first thing she noticed was how Ponyta looking sad. “I know you have been through a lot but the Princesses can send you back in a week.” “Ponyta ponyta” replied Ponyta. Fluttershy was taken back then looked at me. “Alchemist, she says she wants to stay with you.” “What, why?” “Ponyta” “She said she saw your past last night. That even after all that you are still a better person then her last master.” “What did she see?” “Ponyta” “She says she can't tell me?” This was some how part of Murphy's game. I could sense it, but not a whole lot I can do about it. Anyway I decided to take Ponyta in. Taking Ponyta in was probably one of the best decisions I had made in Equestria. It was hard to think of Ponyta as a pet due to her looking so much like a pony. Even her name has pony in it. She however became my new pet. She couldn't replace my first pet, a wolf named Baker, but she comes close. Turns out her mane and tail are fire only when she wants them to be or is comatose. She was also in fact the cause of my fears for being in possession of a material that can crush Ember. Her hoofs are hard, easily three times harder then diamonds are, however we cant gauge it any higher then that. For all we know her hooves may be ten times harder then diamonds. Wouldn't that be something This whole ordeal got me wondering. What do Murphy's and the Whispering Voice really want and how am I tied to it?