Fiery Slate
Equestria - Canterlot – 0600 Hours
A dark colored Stallion walked through the crowded streets of Canterlot to get to the Royal Guards outpost at the corner of the street. Arriving at the outpost he pushed open the door and stepped inside to a small room with a single desk and a unicorn guard covered in paper work. “Excuse me,” the Stallion spoke to the guard who looked up from his paper work.
“Something you need?” The guard looked at the Stallion with tired eyes and a dull tone of voice.
“Ah- well… You see my son ran from home months ago. I reported it a while back and you ponies stated you would look for him…” The Stallion spoke nervously.
The guard gestured for him to continue, “Go on…”
“So… Uh- I was wondering if you made any progress.”
The unicorn sighed, “Your name?”
“Smith, I’m a blacksmith.”
The papers on the desk began to get a blue aura and floated off the desk and the guard began to cycle through the papers. “Fiery Slate?” the guard asked. Smith just nodded and the guard continued to read the paper as Smith watched the guard.
The silence was broken as the guard looked back at Smith, “Nothing.”
Smith was taking a back by this, “Huh?”
“Nada, zilch, we haven’t found him and the pony of your description hasn’t been seen yet. Come back some other time.”
The stallion just stood there and stared at the guard, depressed that no progress had been made. Lowering his head, Smith turned and walked out of the outpost to return and tell his wife the news…
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Unknown Location outside Changeling Territory - 0800
Ember awoke to the sound of yelling. Quickly getting up only to feel the pain from her wounds, but never the less she needed to check out what she had heard. Grabbing her rifle she quickly looked at her armor that was near her sleeping spot and decided to go on without it as odds are she wouldn’t be able to get it on fast enough to aid. She stumbled her way out of the cave and into the sunny day. Then another scream head of her position.
She ran in the direction of the scream, but her pain slowed her down but Ember pressed on. “Please help me!” she heard a voice that sounded a lot more- Human, then the Changelings voices.
Can there be Humans or near Human’s on this planet? She questioned.
As she got closer she could hear growling and hastened. Stopping behind a tree she peered out to what was going on. She could see another alien that looked like the Changelings however more normal horse-like, with a short black mane with a large red line through the center, they also have white fur and large yellow eyes. It appeared to be also wearing clothing, a blue shirt with a turtle neck similar to herself. Lastly on their back what appeared to be a saddlebag. Taking her eyes off of the alien she saw around them three… wooden wolves? Ember blinked and looked away and then back not able to believe she was seeing living pieces of wood.
Magic was one thing, but seeing wolves made of wood made no logical sense, there isn’t any organs in them, a heart- a brain or anything. Wood doesn’t have any of those. She decided they weren’t worth ammo and just ran behind them and “Hey!” she called out to get the attention of the wolves. They turned their heads only to be met by getting hit with the Assault Rifle which sent one of the wolves flying and hitting into a tree where they broke into pieces. But before they could react she hit another wolf and the same thing happened. The last one began to whimper and ran off.
The alien that had been under attacked was still crouching and eyes closed, slowly they turned and began to look at what saved them. Ember just stood there and watched the alien as they stood up and backed away, “D-Did you save me?”
“It appears I did- what were those things?” she replied pointing at the wooden wolves. The alien looked over at the wolves pieces and then back at Ember.
“Timberwolves, notorious for attacking ponies like me.”
Ember raised an eyebrow, “Ponies? Your serious?”
“What you never seen a Pony before?”
“Oh, I have seen Ponies and Horses. Neither that talked.”
The alien pointed at her, “And I have never seen- well whatever you are.”
“An Angel,” she replied flatly.
“That.”
There was a bit of silence between the two but then he spoke up again, “I’m Fiery Slate.”
“Lieutenant Ember.”
“Care to tell me your first name-,” Fiery asked but was cut off.
“No, but there is something you can tell me,” she asked as she crouched slightly to get even height, she realized this was the best moment to ask for directions to somewhere more populated. If the Changelings used magic, maybe there was some race that could use that to get back home, “What’s the closest population center?”
“Population Center? You mean a town? Well many miles north of here is Santa Mane, it’s a small town. I don’t know how they will react though to a… Angel coming into town.”
“Why is that?”
Fiery began to loosen up and not feel as threatened, “Well lately they have been having problems with the local species, so they have got really paranoid. I just passed through there a week ago.”
Feeling she got what she needed she began to turn away from the pony but the they walked towards her and to her side, “So where are you from?”
“Far away,” she replied hoping they would leave but as she began to walk, so did Fiery.
“Well that’s awfully vague- but if you want to know where I am from, it’s Canterlot!”
Ember looked at the pony, “I didn’t even ask.”
“You didn’t need to be. I am just being respectful.”
“Uh-huh…” Ember murmured as she looked back on the path and to her dismay the pony began to speak again.
“So what are you doing out here?”
The soldier stopped and looked at the pony, “Fiery right?” the pony nodded. “Don’t you have something better to do?”
“Nope, I am a run-a-way and seeking adventure. It’s the only way to find out what my cutie mark is.”
“Your what?”
“My cutie mark- oh you must not know what it is…” he replied which resulted in Ember rolling her eyes at the obvious. “Well see a cutie mark is a symbol that magically appears on our flanks when we discover our talent. I finally got old enough to be called a Stallion which is long past when I should have gotten my cutie mark when I was just a colt in school…”
Interesting concept, never heard of a race that has that.
However Ember sighed again despite the tale, “Alright well if you want to adventure then shoo… I will be heading to town.”
Fiery’s ears lowered and he looked down on the floor, “Oh… Yeah I guess you wouldn’t want someone like me hanging about. You know, blank flank and all.”
The soldier stood up, “It’s not like I hate you. Hell, I barely even know you. Problem is- our interests clash. You said you ran away from home, but me? I am trying to get home.”
She began to walk away leaving the Pony behind but then Fiery yelled, “So you’re just going to let a defenseless Pony be all alone in this forest? Where animals like the Timberwolves can eat me?”
Ember turned around as if offended, “Are you guilt tripping me into letting you tag along?”
Fiery turned his head away, “N-no…”
“Oh yes you’re!” she replied with conviction.
“Okay! So I am. Truth be told- I am well lost. I have been away from home for six months now and nothing. I have tried so many things since I left but not a single thing worked,” he replied and looked back at her but then began to turn away. “You wouldn’t understand, I bet your people don’t even have cutie marks.”
“Well you’re a good guesser.”
“I don’t think I can get my cutie mark from being a guesser.”
Once again there was a silence between the two, and Fiery began to walk away and Ember just watched. She began to have conflicting emotions, on one hand going solo ensured she could go faster, however If she let Fiery go alone he could end up getting killed and then his blood would be on her hands. Then an idea formulated, Fiery obviously being a native would be quite useful in getting info to get to their leader.
“Okay. Okay- stop,” she yelled out and Fiery stopped and looked back. “You can follow me…”
Fiery ears shot up and eyes opened wide and ran towards her, “Oh thank you- oh-,” he stop talking when Ember held up her hand.
“Under one condition- you see I may have to go Canterlot. What would you do then? Go back with your parents?”
The pony sat down and began to think, “Then let’s hope I get my cutie mark by then. So nothing will be in vain.”
“That’s one hell of a chance,” she simply replied. “You’re betting a lot on hanging out with me.”
“Well one of the things I haven’t tried yet was hanging out with a hairless ape. Plus what’s the worst that could happen? My parents yell at me for a solid hour? Well that and not having my cutie mark…”
Ember waved her hands at the Pony, “Wait. Wait. Back that up… Did you just call me a ‘hairless ape’?”
Fiery moved back away from Ember and sunk his head, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to be offensive!”
Ember rolled her eyes again, “Just don’t call me that again. I am an Angel- remember that- not some hairless ape. Be happy I can tolerate a lot more than some.”
The pony raised his head and nodded and began to follow as they moved through the forest but then he had to ask one more thing, “We're we going?”
“Back to my cave…” before she could finish the pony snickered and Ember just stared at him and he stopped. “As I was saying, back to my cave to get my gear I left behind.”
Fiery wanted to make a funny comment but then remember how she reacted when she got called a ‘hairless ape’ and decided to not push it. They continued their trek through the forest in silence passing over creeks and fallen trees. Eventually making it back to the cave to which Ember ordered Fiery to stay outside as she would need to change into her armor.
Stepping back into the cave she found everything intact and unmoved, she had to admit she was afraid someone would have stumbled upon it while she was out. Taking off her clothes she opened up the Cube and put them in there and then began to put back her armor. There was a slight pain when the skin tight suit that came on first came into contact with the bandages. After getting her suit on she began to put on the various parts of the armor until the suit was hardly visible outside some small sections of the armor.
The helmet folded out and covered her head and the HUD turned on. Seeing everything in check outside some of the systems that were still being rebooted, she began to collect everything in the cave, putting her pistol on her belt along with the cube. She took one last moment to look around the cave to double check that she had everything and once she was satisfied she exited.
Fiery hearing her steps turned and jumped back at her new attire but then began to get big eyes, “So… COOL!” he screamed and she almost jumped herself not expecting the reaction. “That armor of yours, it’s like nothing I have ever seen before. A lot more impressive than the Royal Guards.”
“The Royal Guards? I assume they’re in Canterlot?” she inquired, taking the chance to learn more about this world.
Fiery nodded, “Yeah, they act also as our police but also are sworn to protect the Princesses.”
“The Princesses?” Ember asked confused. “What about the King or Queen?”
“We have no King or Queen, just Princess Celestia and Luna. It’s a Diarchy.”
“What? That makes no sense. A Princess doesn’t have ruling power, that’s reserved for the Queen and King. Princesses are supposed to marry or inherit the position of Queen.”
Fiery tilted his head, “Really?” he replied and Ember nodded. “Well I guess that’s just how it works here. How does it where you’re from? Do you have a King or Queen?”
“No, where I am from it’s a Republic. We elect our leaders after a selected number of years.”
“And where is it you’re from again?” Fiery asked hoping she would slip.
“Far away,” she replied and began to walk. “Anyway first thing we need to do is get something to eat. I’m starving.”
Fiery took a proud stance, “Well then- I can help you there.” He began to rumble through his saddlebag and pulled out more apples and threw two of them at Ember and she caught both of them.
More apples? Better than nothing.
She let her helmet fold back and that got another response out of Fiery, “Your helmet folds away? Cool! I need something like that- got more?”
Ember bit into an apple and then replied, “Let’s move.”
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Fiery followed behind and they ventured forth into the forest in the direction of Santa Mare. They didn’t talk at all, as Ember stressed silence and so the pony abided. Sometimes they stopped and let Timberwolves pass by and then would keep going on. Both would only stop to get something to drink when they reached a creek or eat another apple, although she had to admit the apples were quite good but not ideally as the sole thing to eat.
Ember was amazed by the world, at times it seemed as normal as any other world, but then seeing Fiery, a talking pony, then wolves made out of wood, and remembering the Changelings took her out of that. It wasn’t a normal world, in fact it’s a strange world, and began to wonder what exactly caused the planet to evolve to host talking horses and the magic the Changelings used wasn’t like the magic on other worlds. No known magic allows the user to make them look like someone else, if mages could do that, wars would be a lot deadlier and chaotic.
They came across a gorge and crossed an old bridge, first Ember went and then Fiery followed after. Just as the pony got to the other side the bridge shook and then fell over. “Well, we're not going back that way,” Fiery commented and they continued on. By this point the sun was starting to get low and the moon starting to rise but they wouldn’t stop yet. Ember decided that they would first cross the large hill ahead and then setup camp.
She stopped at the top of the hill and still couldn’t see the town, not that she expected but it did mean that they still had far to go. Fiery said he had passed through the town a week ago but she didn’t know if they are a week away or if the pony just wondered around lost in the woods for a week. “Fiery, did you keep going south for a week after exiting the town?” she asked as they went down the hill.
“No… I kind of just got lost in this forest for a week. I have no idea exactly how far I got away from it.”
Well that doesn’t really help she thought.
After a short walk from the foot of the hill she decided it was time to set up camp. She went out to get sticks and Fiery went out to get rocks. They arrived back at the spot and set out the sticks and rocks just as she had done in the cave the night before. Fiery watched in amazement as she pulled out the cube and took out the lighter and lit the fire and then they sat there, Ember against a tree and Fiery in the grass.
“So… Ember, where are you from? You seem awfully advanced and I have never heard of your species before,” he inquired.
Ember sighed, “You really want to know? Not going to scream and run off?”
“Well now you have gotten me very curious.”
She clapped her hands, “Fine… Well if you must know I am from Alderii. An entirely different world than this.”
Fiery stood up and got wide eyed, “You’re serious? So you’re a… Alien?”
“To be fair in my eyes, you’re the alien.”
The pony sat back down flabbergasted, “That surely does explain a lot. Although it begs a question, why are you here?”
She shrugged and began to slump, “I don’t know. I was on a mission with my squad on a war torn world, everything went to shit, and I somehow appeared here. Well just south of here in Changeling territory.”
“Changeling territory? What a place to land, they aren’t friendly to pony folk and other species.”
Ember had a laugh at that, “Yeah… They sort of chased me and shot me with their magic into the river and I tumbled down to this forest. They even had their Queen after me.”
“So- I assume when you said get back home, you want to get off of this world?”
She nodded, “Exactly, that’s why I need to find someone who may know how to get me back. By chance what is this world?”
“Well currently we’re in the Wild Lands, but this is the continent of Equestria. The world is Equis. As for people who could help you- I would suggest seeking out Princess Celestia and Luna who I mentioned earlier. Both live in Canterlot.”
“What can you tell me about these Princesses?”
Fiery stared at the fire, “I only really know what is most basic. I never talked to them personally. Princess Celestia and Luna are Alicorns, both over a thousand years old. Celestia controls the sun, and Luna controls the moon, they rise and set both of them…”
He stopped and she waved her hands, “Wait. Wait… How does that work? A planet revolves around the sun, and the moon around the planet. The sun doesn’t move, the planet turns! Did they deceive you all?”
“Is that how it works where you’re from? Here Pegasus’ control our weather, and the Princesses control the moon and sun. It’s just how it works here.”
Ember just looked around unable to comprehend this information, “Pegasus? Are you telling me there are winged horses-.”
“Ponies,” Fiery corrected her.
“Ponies, that fly and they control the weather? I have got to see this… Also Alicorns, what are those?”
Fiery decided to just explain all of them, “Okay let me explain from the start. I am an Earth Pony, basically regular. Then there are Pegasus, they live in the clouds and are able to control our weather. We also have Unicorns, they’re able to use magic channeled through their horn. We have a bit of magic, but Unicorns are the only one who can actually channel it and make it does stuff. Lastly we have Alicorns, who are all three combined, they have wings, and a horn. As far as I know the Princesses are the only Alicorns.”
Pegasus? Unicorns? It’s like all Human mythology coming to reality.
Then she remembered the Changelings, they had wings, and horns. “Are Changelings Alicorns? They have both wings and horns.”
Fiery shook his head, “No. They aren’t ponies. They look similar to us but they aren’t. So… Can I assume that where you’re from there is none of us?”
“Yeah, I mean Humans, another race that exists along Angels, do have stories of Pegasus and Unicorns but no evidence, I guess till now, showed them to actually exist.”
Fiery getting more of idea of where Ember was from had to ask, “Humans? What are they like?”
“Think of me… But without the glowing eyes, and they aren’t as strong as I am. However in the warfare we have it doesn’t matter too much. Plus some Humans can use magic, which is very deadly.”
“Magic? I wonder if it’s the same as Unicorns magic.”
“I guess when I meet a Unicorn I will have to compare the two,” she answered and then when her stomach rumbled she asked, “You got another apple?”
Fiery went through his pack again and pulled out an apple and threw it to her. “How many do you have?”
“A lot. I am honestly getting a bit sick of them to be honest.”
After eating her apple she began to lie down on the grass, “It’s best if we get some sleep. A lot more travelling in the morning. So Night.”
“Night,” Fiery said softly as he yawned and drifted off to sleep. His first day with Ember over, and only more to come.