//------------------------------//
// Playing with Fire 
// Story: Equestria: A Flux Tale 
// by Star Sage 
//------------------------------//

	The mass of scales, flesh, and hair charged across the field. Clearly they intended to attack as a group, giving you no time to recover. That felt like cheating to you, given that in most stories they would line up to fight you one at a time, falling each in turn until you yourself fell over from exhaustion. Not that you considered them to be masters of fair play, as you could already sense portals being opened by Starstorm, and DawnChaser spells that he'd probably prepared before and laced in the ground around you.

None of them even got close to you before your sword was dropped, vanishing instantly rather than pixelating as many of your items did. As you let go, another item appeared in your off hand, which then aimed straight into the horde. This thing, innocuous on its own, hummed with power as it charged to full, and you pressed the buttons on its top rapidly, before depressing the firing button, and let loose it's golden fury.

The stun blast, at full dispersion, arced out in front of you. The beam, becoming a sheet of energy, slammed hard into each pony, dragon, dog, and whatnot, all of them seizing up as it hit home. Every defense they had raised had not been prepared for an attack of this nature, which flowed around shields, and into every break in armor. The instant the blast touched them, their eyes widened, and then shut, their bodies falling like newly thrashed wheat, piling up on the field.

Luckily, none of them were falling onto their weapons or the like, as you reached out your senses to make sure, none of them fell in a position likely to do them any lasting harm, and best off all, none of their bodies rose, every one that had fallen staying down. That only left one problem, and it was staring at you through dark eye holes, in a suit designed to contain the fire within him, his gaze never breaking from yours as he stood there.

With a flash, not of your power, but of Celestia's, the fallen were moved from the field, and another power surrounded you. The taste of it was familiar, as the Night Princess herself forged a cage in which to contain the battle that was about to occur, as you felt Pyro's power grow. He never faltered in his stare as the bodies of his compatriots were taken away, but did look away for a moment, just a second, to see if the field of Luna's power was all around you, before laughing.

It was a subtle thing at first, muffled as it was by his suit, but it began to grow quickly. Pyro's voice grew though, the mad cackle of his voice filling the air, as he rose from his legs, standing like a biped. Then his horn began to give off a glow, like fire. Said flame flowed like liquid down his body, and his form altered, going from a quadruped, to a biped in the blink of an eye. Not an anthro pony mind, just his joints reversed, so he could stand easily on his hind hooves, while holdings his forehooves like arms.

The moment that liquid fire died, he launched forward, flames jetting out from his hooves, turning his forehoof into a comet tailed thing as it came at your face. Luckily, you had been training for fights like this, and as before, everything seemed to slow around you, your senses, even those your power granted you, growing sharper, allowing you to dodge this first, initial blow, shifting your footing so that the hoof sailed through only air.

Of course, that was just the initial strike, and before you could do anything else, his hind hoof came up instead, and you felt the blow impact your arm, hard. Your hand instantly released the phaser you had made, popping into drops of light as most of your constructs did. The force of the impact sent you sailing too, your body flying back almost ten yards, before slamming into something solid, which felt cold as midnight as you bounced off it, making a small cry escape your lips.

The Alicorn of Fire didn't give you any time to recover, charging forward, but like a fire burning out of control, he didn't think, he just acted, and so, without effort, you spun out of the way, Pyromancer slamming into the barrier made by his aunt. He didn't scream, much to your shame that you had, but he did bounce farther than you, his hooves, all four, growing jets of flame as he bound away from the barrier, landing in the middle of the enclosure.

“Not bad,” you told him, lifting the faceplate of your helmet to smile at him. Pyro, taking the sign for a breather, just nodded.

“Mph mph mph, mphmph,” came the muffed reply. Luckily, you'd been hanging out with him long enough to know he'd just told you you weren't bad yourself. Then he attacked again, bouncing on one hoof, then then other, and then jogging forward, both forehooves trailing fire again. You realized as he struck, that he must have been using the flames like rockets, even in his punches, driving his blows faster and harder than he could have done otherwise.

Not that you were without defense, raising the vambraces of your armor, you blocked both the first punch, and the followup attack with a hindhoof, before you countered with a body blow, slamming your chest into his, using your power to make a field that pushed him away. The power behind it must have been greater than you expected, as he went tumbling away, rolling along the ground until he was at the other side of the barrier, staring at you with disbelief.

You weren't sure how you knew that last part, but you did. Of course, it soon became your turn to stare, as the alicorn made himself a weapon. Focusing his magic, his horn began to shine like the noonday sun, and then out of his forehooves came a pair of curved sabers made of fire. They burned and shimmered, but otherwise seemed fairly solid, demonstrated when he jammed the blade of one into the ground, and then pulled it out, flinging dirt and rocks your way.

“Two can play at that game!” you told him, and with a thought, you made another sword for yourself. Rather than your Excalibur though, you summoned a blade more appropriate to fight fire. A broadsword this time, rather than a straight blade, with a huge crosshilt, and almost as long as you were tall. The thing appeared to be made of ice, but an ice that gleamed like diamond in the light coming through the barrier.

“The Sword of Frost, one of the best weapons in Might and Magic,” you tell him, trying to recall the stat bonuses the blade would give you, but failing as you only had vague memories of those games. Still, you had your weapon, something bulky, but light enough that you could swing it into position as a shield when Pyro did his jet hooves thing, slashing at you like a whirlwind with his blade, which glanced off your sword, creating small hissing sounds as steam filled the air between you.

“Have to do better than that!” you shouted at him, swinging your weapon overhead, and then bringing it down at him like a bolt of lightning. The alicorn had no chance to dodge, and worse, couldn't bring his blades up in time, so instead he....well he split around the blade, in such a way that he just sort of pulled himself apart and then came together as the weapon passed through him. Surprised by this, you let your swing carry you forward, bounding over Pyro, and then spinning to face him as you landed.

He didn't follow up on his attack though. Instead he stood there, his blade falling away, doing a similar pixelation thing to your own items, as he began to pat himself down. It seemed whatever had happened was unusual, and for a moment you consider offering a pause in the combat so he might get looked over by his elders. However, as he turns, he giggles even more madly than before, even if it is quieter, probably only you able to hear it.

With a cry, his hooves slam together, creating a broadsword like your own, but slightly larger. Not that the size slowed him down, as he shot at you like a cannon ball, and echoing his cry, your brought your blade up to catch his on its edge. Normally such a blow would shatter or at least chip the blade, but your magical constructs would have no such problem. Then, just before they hit, you remembered something about the Sword of Frost that made you raise a barrier between you and it.

The instant the two sword struck, an explosion of near world shattering force occurred. With your senses, you could actually smell the barrier around you straining against the assault. Pyro, his own nature similar to the barrier, was blown back by the blast of steam and kinetic energy, his body skipping like a stone along the ground, before being slammed into the barrier and held there by the blast's force.

You meanwhile, were able to keep your footing, but only just, as the ground around you tore itself apart, and you made tendrils of energy from the soles of your boots that dug deeper, and deeper, and deeper still, finding solidity only twenty feet down, as the ground cratered, and you found yourself standing on a small pillar of dirt and rock, in the midst of the field that was now so much lower than the ground around it.

“Pyro!” you shout, leaping off the pillar as the air finally starts to clear. Your feet cease to touch the thing, and it crumbles instantly, showing just how powerful you were becoming, a fact you ignore as you walk down an invisible staircase, and get under Pyro just as he falls from the barrier, landing in your arms. Luckily you remember to enhance your strength just before catching him, and create a pillow like field of force above you to soften the impact.

“Are you okay?” you ask, and the alicorn, his suit scuffed and dirty, just nodded, enthusiastically even, as he pulled himself up off your grip. He then launched into a long explanation of what had happened, and sounded positively ecstatic at it all. His hooves moved in odd patterns as he discussed the energy release, and his own ability to fold his form around your first sword strike, seemingly forgetting about the battle.

“Does this mean we're done?” you ask as he starts to wind down, and he very quickly shakes his head, bouncing away into the center of the crater, his forehooves coming up in punching motions, as he readies himself for further combat. You meanwhile look at him like he's crazy. Not that he wasn't mind, he was an alicorn, and it seemed to you that immortality, plus godlike or at least demigodlike power tended to addle one's wits.

Deciding to end this quickly, you search your memories for an ice or water weapon. Quickly dismissing some, like the ice bomb from Jonny Quest for being too big a risk, and others like Water Bending for lacking the right materials, you suddenly hit on inspiration, and smirk across the crater at your opponent. Drawing your hands out as wide as they will go, you focus on the image of two golden stars in your mind, even as you alter your armor to a cloth thing instead of hard metal.

“Shurikens of Ice!” you cry out, and from your hands two golden circles emerge, spinning rapidly enough to make a humming in the air. Said circles then begin to grow blades, first one, then two, and finally the third, becoming three point stars that hover just off your palms. At the same time your armor became the white cloth of the White Ninja's suit, sized to fit someone of more human proportions instead of those of a lego man, while also covering your face.

“Mph Mph Mph(All right then),” said Pyro, as he holds his own hooves out to his sides, he doesn't form weapons though, instead covering those flat surfaces with sheets of raw fire, that you can hear crackling in the air even from yards away.

“Indeed. Time to end this. NINJA GO!” you shout, twisting your body a bit, before releasing yourself into a spinning motion. Not that you have to do more than one circle, as the Shurikens fly around you, creating a white tornado that looks positively icy. Through it, you can see Pyro staring at you, before he does much the same thing, spinning as he uses his fire powers to lift himself lightly off the ground, creating his own flame tornado.

You charge even as he does, you leaving a trail of frozen earth behind you, while he instead leaves a burning line of dirt in his wake. The two of you, either because of some unstated agreement, or just because it felt right, leapt upward just before impact, sailing into the air, your hair grazing the top of Luna's barrier, before your tornadoes collided, a rush of hot and fridged air coming together, only for your to seemingly pass through Pyro, and land on both feet on the other side of him, letting the Shurikens fade as you came to a stop.

Your ninja outfit was on slight fire, and you fell to one knee from exhaustion, as your lungs finally realized you hadn't been breathing properly these last few seconds, and demanded air. Outside the barrier, you can hear a series of gasps, even as you can hear the low chuckle of Pyro, seemingly laughing in victory. However, you hear that familiar crinkling sound, and as you rise back up, you turn to find the bipedal pony frozen in a block of solid ice.

'Not bad,' comes a pink tinged thought into your head, and you look up to find the three princesses already at the edge of the barrier, which, with a thought from Luna, fades into nothing, revealing the sun outside, that had moved over an hour farther than you would have expected, putting the time at a bit before eleven in the morning.

“We shall have to give this match to the Human, We believe,” said Luna, her voice amplified by some spell, and you can hear the cheering from the crowd beyond. Smirking, enjoying being cheered for, you snap your fingers like Q, and instantly you are standing in the field again, the crater from your power repaired, and you in you golden armor. Pyro, meanwhile, appears none the worse for wear, wobbling a bit on his hooves, before righting himself, and then restoring his normal quadrupedal form.

“Mph Mph MPPPH! Mph mph mphhhh mmmmph mmpphh mph mph(I am DEFEATED! Yet, Human, you have fought with honor and dignity, a worthy foe indeed),” said Pyro, bowing toward you, and in respect, you bow back, enjoying the flush of victory, even as the Princesses, and then three more Alicorns come to the field, while around you gathered DawnChaser, Octavia, and a few acquaintances you'd made.

“What was that device you used on us?” asked DawnChaser, as he reached you. Of course, you didn't answer right away, as Octavia stood on her hindhooves, while wrapping the fore pair around you, and then planting a kiss on your face. That only kept the purple unicorn at bay for a few moments though, as he looked at you expectantly.

“It was a phaser, from Star Trek. I've been wanting to pull that out since I got here,” you admit to him, as the gray mare takes her position at your side, flanked by your guards, the Wonderbolts.

“Ah, another thing from a work of fiction. Truly your abilities defy my best attempts to define them,” he says, as he trots to the edge of where you knew the barrier had been, and then lightly scoops up devices that had been buried there. Not one or two though, like a hundred, which Deasly quickly places in a basket, taking each as the Professor passes them to him, before the pair, along with most of the Apprentices, make their way to the lab and then shut the door firmly behind them.

'You let him participate?' you think towards Cadence, using your powers to push the thoughts into her mind.

'He's been on his best behavior lately, and hasn't caused a major catastrophe or the like,' said the pink tinged thoughts that popped into your brain, to which you nod.

“An interesting trick you pulled, Human, one that I think would qualify as cheating, if Pyro had not been able to resist,” said a new voice, and you turn towards it. The voice was light, but powerful, like a ray of sunshine made manifest, which was appropriate considering the one saying it was one of the three new Alicorns, this one you recognize as Prince Radiance. His coat was white and shimmering, sort of like Celestia's, but brighter, while his horn was seemingly forged of solid gold, and he wore a suit not unlike Shining Armor's dress uniform.

“Oh come off it you old blow hard. He won, cheating or not, that's all that matters,” said the Alicorn next to him, her voice bubbly and fragmented, like a dozen voices were speaking at once. This Alicorn, Dewprism, stood slightly shorter than her brother or her mother, but was still taller than most ponies. Her coat also helped her stand out, as anytime you looked at it without light shining on it, it appeared grayish, but the instant a sunbeam graced her, she shone with a myriad of colors.

“Heh, indeed. Victory matters more than honor in situations like this. After all, could any of us have handled that mob so well. Without hurting them I mean?” said the other Alicorn, this one you didn't know, and could only tell she was female by the sound of her voice, as much like Pyro, she wore a full body suit. Unlike him, her's was armor, made from silver from the look of it, which rattled a bit as she walked forward.

The three stood there after their little discussion, and for a moment, you felt a flash, like the cloud of thoughts of the Princesses from the other day. It went by so fast you couldn't get a sense of what it was that had passed between them, but you knew that the three, who stood at eye level or higher to you, were discussing your performance.

“I did only what I thought best, Prince Radiance, Lady Dewprism, and Silver armored pony whom I don't recognize,” you told them with a bow, and the three stopped to take a moment and stare at each other, before turning back to you.

“You can read our minds?” asked Dewprism, and Luna at least seemed to get a chuckle out of this.

“Not at all. During one of Our discussions with the human in his dreams, We went over or familial connections. As such, he saw you as the first of Celestia's children, and recognized Dewprism due to one of his friends being of her linage. However, as We failed to focus on her, allow the Princess of the Night to introduce the Alicorn of Motion, Princess Quicksilver,” said Luna, waving her hoof so that the armored alicorn Princess moved forward, and then you realized with a start that the silver wasn't armor, that was her skin.

“A pleasure human,” she said with a bow, the others, including Pyro, miming her gesture.

“Indeed, we had feared our little brother would never achieve what you helped him to do today. As a show of gratitude, we would offer that you accompany us to the palace, that we might bask in your glorious victory, and share stories of battles and life,” said Radiance, which a quick show of hooves said everypony agreed with him, your royal entourage and you soon making your way to a rather large open air carriage, which you took a seat in, beside Octavia, and then watched as the guards hitched themselves to it, and pulled your group towards Canterlot Castle in the distance.