Apple Bloom and Big Mac rushed into the room to see what the commotion was about.
"Granny?!" Apple Bloom shouted, running over to join in the hug.
"What's goin' on ponies? Why are ya'll actin' like this? What time is it?" The elder questioned, confused. Meanwhile, Big Mac was slowly walking in, staring at Granny Smith with a confused and shocked look on his usually expressionless face.
"N' who is this young'un? Seems familiar." Blazing Streak's ear twitched when Granny motioned to her. The Apple family separated, all with tears of joy in their eyes and smiles filled with disbelief on their faces. Blazing waved her hoof.
"I'll introduce my self later, I'll leave you all to yourselves to talk. Got a lot to think on, as you have a lot to talk about." She nodded to Granny respectfully and wandered out of the room, deep in thought.
Thunder Slash needs to know about this, I hope it doesn't end up in another fight.
She could still feel mild pain in her back from when she was flung against that tree. A realization then hit her.
Will Granny Smith be okay about me and AJ being married? She didn't ever get to see us together before she died.
She figured that Granny was probably watching over them. It must be disorienting to be alive again, that would explain why she didn't know who Blazing was.
Why does everything have to be so complicated? I just want a normal life!
It wasn't fair, she hadn't asked for this, she didn't want it. It was too much pressure for her. Sighing, she shook the thought from her head, even if she didn't want it, she had no choice, and it was Equestria and her friends that could be at stake.
She grabbed an empty glass and filled it with water, she hadn't drank anything since lunch time. the cool liquid managed to calm some of her nerves.
"Blazin'? Git in here!" She heard Granny Smith's voice beckoning her. She turned and walked over to the lounge, worried. Reaching the doorway, she saw the elderly mare sitting in her chair with a serious expression on her face. Applejack looked worried, as did Big Mac and Apple Bloom. This made her even more nervous as to what was about to happen.
"Ah understand that yer mah granddaughter's wife." She stated, expression still set in stone. Her stare bore a hole in Blazing Streak's soul. She nodded hesitantly. She glanced to her wife to find that she was also staring at her Grandmother.
Blazing shuffled her hooves at the long silence. Thankfully, it was soon broken by Granny Smith.
"If only Ah had been around ta see that happen." She seemed surprisingly calm considering she'd been dead for four years. Relief surged through her. Applejack also looked relieved.
"So, ya'll don't mind it, Granny?"
"Nope, it's mah Grand daughter we're talkin' about here. N' if she makes ya happy then Ah support it. Family look out fer each other." Granny Smith confirmed. Applejack went and hugged the pale green mare once more along with Big Mac and Apple Bloom. Blazing Smiled.
"Blazin', yer part of the family now, n' ya have been fer the past four years." She motioned for Blazing Streak to join in. The red mare in question smiled even wider as she did as she was told.
"Ah love Ya'll, Granny, Mac, Apple Bloom, Firefly." Applejack stated.
Moments later, they separated. What followed was an awkward pause. Apple Bloom yawned loudly, followed by a drowsy look on her face. Blazing Streak looked at the clock.
"It's 6 o'clock, we should get dinner." She observed. Every pony nodded and headed to the kitchen, Granny smith was about to follow when Applejack lifted a hoof.
"We've got this, Granny. Ya'll should get some rest." The pale green matriarch smiled appreciatively and settled back down.
.--...--...---...--...--.
On a hill, north of Ponyville, where Blazing Streak and Applejack had relaxed and snuggled so many times before, stood the Red Pegasus, accompanied by Thunder Slash. The morning light blazed overhead, the tree casting a shadow over the two. Blazing Streak paced up and down, while Thunder Slash was staring into nothing, thoughtful.
"This is the start of something big." Thunder Slash tilted her head so that she was staring directly at the pacing red Pegasus, who stopped and looked at her. "We must be prepared to face it head on." She finished, grimly. Blazing Streak frowned and nodded. She gazed at the mountain. She couldn't look at it without dread filling her heart.
"We don't have much time. I just hope that I'm powerful enough to fend off hordes of dead ponies." She fretted. An idea began to form in her head. "We need to train, hard, it's been a while since I've had a real fight and I think I'm a little rusty."
"But how are we going to train? we haven't got much to train with." Thunder Slash argued. Blazing Streak looked at the Blue Pegasus.
"Remember that fight we had a couple of days ago? We could do that more often, apart from the situation and the beam crossing." Thunder Slash looked thoughtful.
"It could work, we'd also need to know how to properly use light energy without injuring ourselves." Blazing Streak nodded. She noticed something flash in Thunder Slash's eyes. A moment later she darted towards Blazing. Caught off guard, Slash hit her in her chest with her hooves extended, dragging her across the ground as she powered on. Pain scorched from her back as she grinded through dirt and rocks. Grunting, she used her back hooves to flip the attacking Pegasus over her. She got to her hooves and turned round, to see Thunder Slash lunging again. She darted to the side and caught the blue Pegasus in the side with a hoof. Slash tumbled to the side and rolled a few times. Blazing reared on her hind legs and got into a two legged standing position, like she had last time she fought Thunder Slash, using her wings to balance herself.
When Thunder Slash had managed to get to her hooves, Blazing Streak went on the offensive, she darted forward so that she was directly in front of Slash. She barged her with her right elbow extended. It connected with Thunder Slash's hoof as the blue Pegasus blocked it. Slash then aimed her other hoof to Blazing Streak's exposed stomach, Blazing twisted to her left, causing the hoof to miss. She hit the back of Thunder Slash's head with her other elbow, knocking her forward onto her front, her front legs splayed out in front of her Blazing then pinned her with her hoof.
"I'm not done yet!" Thunder Slash growled. She struggled against Blazing's hoof, but to no avail. Blazing Streak noticed the pinned mare's back fur start to stand on end. She quickly pulled away her hoof, feeling a quick prick of electricity just as she let go.
"Hey, no magic, that could really hurt one of us, and we don't want to get in-" She never got to finish her sentence as a bolt of lightning hit her in the chest. Stumbling back in shock and pain, she tripped and fell on her back. Thunder Slash was quick to dart over and pin her.
"So that's how you want to play it? Fine." She tensed her entire body. A wave of flames burst out, sending Thunder Slash into the air, yelping in pain, her fur singed and her mane smouldering.
"Fine... you.. W-win." the singed mare forced out, holding her side with a hoof. Guilt pierced her heart.
"Are you okay?" Blazing asked, stepping forward to help Slash.
"Yes, I just-" She sighed. "I brought this on myself, I shouldn't have used magic like you said, I could have really hurt you. I'm sorry." Blazing Streak was taken aback, she didn't think Thunder Slash would apologise like that. She shook her head and smiled.
"Pfft, I's nothing." She replied, rubbing the spot that the bolt of electricity had hit her, it still stung and the fur around it was sticking on end. Thunder Slash nodded.
"So, you up for more, or should we get those burns looked at?". They were only mild, because she hadn't used a very powerful attack, in case it really hurt her. When Thunder Slash was about to deny, she spoke up.
"You do know those are going to hurt all day unless we go and see a nurse, even if they are only minor." She persuaded.
"Alright, fine, make it quick. We need as much time to practice as we can get." Thunder Slash followed Blazing Streak as they took off towards Ponyville.
.--...--...---...--...--.
It was still late morning as Thunder Slash and Blazing Streak strolled through the streets of their home town. Ponies milled about around them, going about their own business.
"So, how are things back in... you know.." Blazing Streak asked.
"Meh, still boring and dull as usual, my parents are living in a retirement home at the moment, this place is so much more interesting, well, most of the ponies are ridiculous and... strange, but its a welcomed change from everyone hiding all the time. Honestly, the thing that surprised me most when I came here is that fillies and colts are outside at day, rather than spending their entire lives cooped up in their homes or school."
"Hm." Blazing Streak murmured, remembering with a shiver her own time in her previous home. Shaking the thought from her head, she looked up. Seeing that they had arrived, she motioned to Thunder Slash to follow her in.
.--...--...---...--...--.
By the time they got out of the hospital, it was just past midday. Blazing Streak could feel a slight chill in the breeze.
Winter is on it's way.
She noticed Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy trotting through town with cheery expressions.
"Hey girls! What're you doing?" Blazing called over to them. Twilight turned to them , surprised.
"Oh hey, Blazing, Thunder! What happened? Did Thunder get injured?" She asked.
"Accident while training." Thunder Slash confirmed.
"Oh my, um, what happened?" Fluttershy asked, concerned. Thunder Slash grunted and explained everything from the start.
"Oh dear, maybe you two should not train on each other.." Rarity suggested.
"I see no other alternative." Blazing countered. Twilight looked thoughtful for a moment, before speaking up.
"Well, be careful and don't use magic on each other, or... this will happen." She motioned to Thunder Slash. "Why don't you practice your magic on something else."
Just then, Pinkie Pie bounced up and down towards them.
"Hey guys! What are you doing? OH, did Slashie get injured? how? What were you doing? Can I help? Is it fun?" The barrage of questions was stopped by Thunder Slash, who put a hoof over her mouth. a muffled voice kept on from behind the hoof lodged in the way of her mouth. Thunder Slash looked at her with concern, as if she thought the pony was insane, which she acted like she was.
"Oh, is it okay if I watch one or two of your training sessions? I would like to keep notes on how you two fight so we can all learn, just in case." Twilight asked. The rest of them looked confused, and so Twilight explained the Prophecy to them. Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind Rarity, who supported a concerned and uneasy expression. Blazing Streak nodded.
"I suppose there isn't any harm." Blazing replied, starting to walk down the street.
"That's great, I've noticed you two fight a lot different from how I've seen the Canterlot guards fight in training." Twilight stated, following her along with the rest.
"Awesome! Another chance to see Blazing fight! I'm there!" Blazing heard Rainbow Dash's voice from above. The cyan Pegasus swooped down and landed beside Blazing Streak, who smiled in amusement.
"Of course."
As the group turned a corner, Blazing saw Applejack's stand, made of lightly coloured wood with "Sweet Acre Apples" painted on the the front, along with pictures of apples dotted all over. A familiar looking pony was just walking away from it, his saddlebags containing a few apples. His grey fur and blue mane was strangely familiar to Blazing. Then She saw his crooked jaw and remembered. This was the pony who ridiculed her and Applejack at one of Pinkie Pie's parties ages ago. He noticed her looking at him and shied away, avoiding eye contact. Blazing Streak had long since let that incident go, so why did this pony act like he was scared of her after so long? Shrugging it off, she turned her attention to the rather bored looking earth pony in the stand.
"Hey, AJ!" She waved to her wife, who perked her ears and prentended to look enthusiastic. Blazing Streak trotted up to her.
"Someone bored?" She asked, half serious. Applejack shrugged.
"'S a real slow day t'day." She explained, falling back to leaning her head on her hoof and huffing. "So, what're ya'll doin'?"
Blazing Streak, once again, explained the events of that morning, how she and Thunder Slash had trained and how it had gotten out of hand and then the conversation they were just having.
"Well, Ah might as well come along too. Anywho, Ah should get back ta' work now, when are we gonna do this?"
"North hill at 5 sound good?" Blazing cast the question over her head to the rest of the group. Every pony nodded in confirmation - Even Fluttershy agreed to try and learn something. Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down with an excited grin, showing her teeth.
"Maybe some of us could train with you as well." Rainbow Dash spoke up. They all nodded in agreement, apart from Fluttershy, who backed away nervously. Blazing Streak found herself burdened with the responsibility of training seven other ponies so they could stand a chance in whatever battle was on it's way. She wasn't sure she could handle it.
"Right, if you believe you can do so well before you've done any real training, lets see what you've got." Blazing Streak said calmly to Rainbow Dash, who was boasting, as usual.
"What? You're just going to let me attack you, just like that?" She asked, a slither of nervousness showing on the rainbow maned Pegasus.
"Well, if you think you can handle it, come on, I won't hurt you, this is practice." Blazing Streak confirmed.
Rainbow shuffled her hooves a bit before shaking her head and lunging at Blazing Streak, who stepped to the side and ducked, dodging Rainbow's impact and swipe. She mocked jumping to the right, confusing Rainbow Dash, instead she jumped to the left and hooked the cyan Pegasus' hind legs with one hoof, causing her to buckle and land on her front.
"You shouldn't jump in like that, or it will be easy to predict your movements, this isn't fighting one of those dark creatures. These enemies will likely have intelligence, and can easily dodge, like I did. Instead, you should let your opponent attack first." Blazing Streak was surprised at how easily this came to her.
"Sorry, it's been, like, forever since I've had to fight anyone, I'm a bit rusty."
Blazing nodded her acknowledgement. "Also, you should always watch the enemy, they could pull a trick like what I just did, keep an eye on their hooves at all times, don't let them take you by surprise." Although Rainbow Dash seemed dejected about losing so easily, she seemed to be soaking up this advice, nodding eagerly.
"Did all of you get that?" She turned and called to the audience, who were watching with great interest, and Pinkie Pie, who was cheer-leading on the side. They all nodded like Rainbow did. Applejack raised her hoof, like a school filly in class.
"Uh, yes, AJ?" Blazing prompted. This was new to her.
"Won't one of you have ta attack first? What if they don't attack before ya'll do, how do you avoid getting.. uh, floored, like that?" Applejack asked.
Good question.
"Like I said, you keep an eye on their hooves, even if you are making the offensive. Observe their movements closely and you should be all right. Go for their weaker spots, like their stomach, or if you can't get to that, then go for the head, or the sides." She explained. Applejack nodded.
"Makes sense." The farm pony nodded, thoughtfully. Blazing Streak then noticed Fluttershy hiding behind Rarity again, shaking.
"Come on, Fluttershy, no one is going to hurt you, this is practice, not a real fight." She tried to comfort the shy pony. Fluttershy only let out a squeak.
"Alright, Tell you what, you can watch the training, but I wont ask you to join if you don't want to, but you need to work on these things, so after everyone has gone, we can have private practice where no one can see you, sound fair?" Blazing Streak reasoned. the pale yellow Pegasus nodded and started to stop shaking so much.
"Alright then, Rainbow? Try that again, remember what I told you." Rainbow nodded and, more carefully this time, darted toward her, keeping an eye on her hooves like Blazing had told her. Rainbow swiped her right hoof, but Blazing Streak blocked it with her own. She didn't go in for an attack - she would tell them all about that later on. Not letting up, Rainbow used her other hoof to try and break Blazing's defence, but it connected with nothing as Blazing darted back, avoiding the blow.
"I don't mind if you throw your punches hard, I can take it, don't restrain yourself on me, I need to see how strong, agile and skilled you really are at hoof to hoof." Rainbow did as she was told, and started to go all out, instead of light knocks, they turned into real blows, the gaps of time in between grew shorter as Blazing kept blocking and dodging. After roughly a minute of this, Rainbow Dash started to slow down. Pleased with the cyan mare's progress, Blazing Streak halted the "fight" and backed away, nodding approvingly.
"Much better, keeping in mind I wasn't fighting back, we'll get into that later." She motioned for Rainbow to sit down among the others and then faced them, Thunder Slash also seemed satisfied with Rainbow's performance, she watched, nodding slowly.
"Okay, who wants to go next?" Blazing watched as Applejack and Pinkie Pie raised their hooves.
.--...--...---...--...--.
"Well that was probably the highlight of mah day." Applejack commented, as she and Blazing Streak lay in bed. Blazing nodded.
"You did pretty well on your first try, got one or two hits in too." Blazing praised, proud. Applejack looked at her.
"Did Ah? Oh Ah'm sorry, Firefly, Ah didn-" Blazing put a hoof on her lips, amused.
"It's okay Applejack, that was the whole point of what we were doing, heck, you were faster than Rainbow! I think next time, I might be able to start teaching you all some moves to get out of being pinned or similar situations."
"Yer a good trainer, Ah think we'll learn a lot." Applejack said, blushing at the praise. Blazing smiled and kissed her wife passionately on the lips.
She would carry on with the training, and get everyone ready for the storm that was coming. Now, she was much more sure of herself that she could do it. She thought the calm, peaceful life after it was all over and done with, the happy moments she and her friends would share.
But would they make it there?