//------------------------------// // Close call // Story: The Slash of Thunder // by ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ //------------------------------// "Night Whisper? This is bad." Thunder Slash stated. She and Blazing Streak sat on a park bench, Blazing was hunched over, a solemn expression dulling her face. She was still shaken by her dream the night before. She sighed. "It's not just Night Whisper, he told me that someone called 'Faint' was the one who corrupted Dusk Shadow. That isn't normal, it must have something to do with the prophecy." She shuddered. She looked to her left, noticing Thunder Slash glance at her, a surprised and curios. "Uh, Blazing? You alright? You kinda shuddered a bit there." She asked, eyeing Blazing. "I'm fine." Thunder Slash just shrugged. Blazing Streak looked back to the ground, deep in thought. "Nope, you're not 'fine'. You keep staring into space and being silent. Something's up." Thunder Slash asserted. Blazing glared at her. "I'm. Fine." She repeated, sternly, before gazing down into the stone pavement once more, irritated. Thunder Slash stared at her with a dead-panned expression. Blazing could feel the amber glare burning through her. She shifted uncomfortably and grunted. "Tell me." Blazing Streak sighed before giving in. "Fine. I've just been thinking about Night Whisper." "What about him?" Thunder Slash pried. "A long time ago, when I was eight years old, he killed both of my parents. Fuelled by rage, I started to train myself up, so I could kill him for revenge. But then, shortly after I was sent here, he came for me, threatened to kill everyone I loved. I ended up killing Night Whisper but... I found out that inside somewhere, he was my brother. Before it was just blind rage that drove me to hate him. But now, knowing he's my brother, it's just so complicated, I hate that pony, but my brother must be somewhere inside him. He's just a result of what this 'Faint' had done to Dusk Shadow." "But you said that he told you that your brother's spirit had been destroyed before it made it to tartarus, it can't be inside Night Whisper." Thunder Slash reasoned. "But how can we be so sure?" Blazing fretted. Thunder Slash looked thoughtful for a moment, but then slumped back into the bench, sighing. There was then a long moment of silence between the two, Blazing leaned her head on her hoof and Thunder Slash looked around the park at the ponies relaxing and the younger ponies running around. The sun was blocked by grey clouds, and it was a colder day than it had been for the past few months. It definitely felt like winter. The question was, would they be fighting in cold conditions? Blazing Streak started to over hear two ponies talking to each other from somewhere behind them. "Have you heard about what's been happening lately? Dead ponies! Coming back to life! It's the end of the world, I tell you!" Blazing Streak glanced behind her to see a pale orange elder with a white mane talking with an equally aged pink pony with a magenta mane. Both where earth ponies. "Yes, I bet it's that young purple Unicorn.. eh... Twilight Snarfle? no.. Sparkle! yes, Twilight Sparkle fooling around with her magic and whatnot! I always knew that magic was unnatural and dangerous!" At this point, Blazing decided to speak up. "It wasn't Twilight." The two looked at her, confused. "Then what was it, young'un?" The pink mare asked. Blazing decided not to scare them with the truth. "You don't need to know anything about that, just that it wasn't my friend." If they replied, Blazing Streak didn't take any notice of it, instead, she got up, stretched her legs and started walking back into the town centre. Thunder Slash fell in beside her. "Hey, don't be like that. Whatever happens, whether Night Whisper turns out to have your brother trapped inside or not, he's still our enemy. It's grim, I know, but it's the truth and you've got to accept that." "And I suppose you know what it's like to be in my position right now?" She scowled bitterly, with a glare. frustration prickled in her pelt. Thunder Slash looked taken aback. she didn't give her time to reply before she launched into the air towards home. .--...--...---...--...--. Blazing Streak heard knocking at the door. she stayed put on the sofa for a moment before going to open the door. "I've got it!" She exclaimed, before swinging the door open to see Twilight's joyous face along with the rest of her friends. "Hey Blazing! Is Applejack in there too?" Blazing Streak's spirits lifted at the sight of her friends. She nodded and called to her wife. "AJ! It's the girls!" A moment later, Applejack came trotting down the stairs to greet the visitors. "Howdy there, ya'll! What brings ya here?" She said, standing by Blazing's side. "Are you girls busy? We're going to go on a picnic! It's been a while." Blazing Streak looked over Twilight's shoulder. Pinkie was bouncing with an overjoyed expression. Rainbow Dash wore an excited smile as she hovered in the air above Fluttershy, who also had a happy expression, much like Rarity, who held a basket with a velvet blanket inside. Twilight was using her magic to hold another basket containing treats and other food in general - most likely from Sugar Cube Corner. She also noticed Thunder Slash, who had her back to Blazing, observing the Orchard in the afternoon sunlight, all of it's apples were picked, thanks to Blazing Streak and Applejacks' hard work throughout the morning. "Ah reckon we've got some free time, what do ya say Firefly? Wanna spend some time with the girls?" Blazing nodded. "Of course." She confirmed, smiling. "Alright, jus' wait here a sec." Applejack trotted back into the kitchen. Blazing Streak stepped out of the front door to wait with her friends. "So how have you been lately, Blazing?" Fluttershy asked. "I'm alright, how about you guys?" Blazing shrugged off the question, not wanting to ruin her friends' spirits. "I just finished this awesome trick that I have to show you when we get there! It's going to be awesome!" Rainbow Dash gloated, before switching to a more serious expression. "Hey, Blazing? When's our next training session?" Blazing Streak thought for a moment, it couldn't be today, thanks to this outing. "How about tomorrow morning? I think I should show you about dodging attacks and countering next." "Cool! It's been aages since I've had to fight anypony." "Blazing? May I ask how you got to know these fighting skills you're teaching us? I'm just curious." Rarity inquired. "Well, being alone for a long time gets really dull, you wouldn't believe it. I learnt most of it by beating up thugs and criminals that attacked me. I would wait for night to come and walk down the streets, into dark alleyways and look for fights." Blazing took a moment to glance at Rarity's disbelieving expression. "Yep, stupid idea. Had a few close calls with armed criminals, but I can deal with that... Anyway..." She tried to change the subject. As if on cue, Applejack trotted out the door with a pile of apple tasting treats, along with the Apple family's famous cider. "Okay, Ah'm ready ta go!" She stated. Everypony else nodded and turned away towards the hillside north of Ponyville, where they had met up many times before. Blazing Streak glanced to her left as she walked past Thunder Slash, who wasn't saying anything, She grunted and looked away, remembering how insensitive the arrogant Pegasus had been the day before. Apparently Twilight noticed this and sent a questioning look towards Blazing, who met her gaze, irritated. "What?" "Can we talk for a moment?" Twilight asked. "Uh.. sure." Twilight motioned the group to carry on. Applejack cast a confused glance at the two, before shrugging and continuing on with the others. "Now what was that about, Blazing? Do you have something against Slash?" She asked. Blazing Streak sighed in frustration. "Blazing..." Twilight pressed when Blazing didn't reply. The red Pegasus didn't see any way out of this, so she sighed once more before explaining what happened. "Look, she means well, and I'm sure she didn't mean to be so insensitive like that, you two aren't going to let something like this separate you, are you?" "...I guess not." Blazing stated. Twilight nodded and her face switched from serious back to joyful as she went to catch up with the others. .--...--...---...--...--. It was taunting her. Standing over her, with the potential to blow any moment. But it didn't. It just stood there, silent, like it was trying to convince the world that it was entirely safe and would not erupt and unleash Tartarus. If only her friends knew how dangerous it really was. Blazing Streak's eyes were fixed on it's peak, anxiously aware of it's presence. "Firefly?" Blazing Streak lost the staring contest she was having with the mountain and whipped her head round to face the others. "Huh?" "Ya'll were starin' inta space there, sugar cube." Applejack told her. "Oh, sorry." Blazing apologized, trying to ignore the tower of stone and rock. She turned her attention to her friends, who were happily eating away at the food they had brought with them, except from Pinkie Pie, who looked more like she was inhaling it. Applejack reached into the basket of food and pulled out an apple fritter, which she offered to Blazing. "Thanks, hon." Blazing said, taking the fritter. "Hon? Ya ain't never called me that before." Applejack queried. "Haven't I? Oh well." Blazing shrugged. Applejack shuffled towards Blazing Streak so that their pelts were brushing together. As Blazing slowly ate her fritter, savoring the taste, she noticed Rarity looking at them with an adoring smile. "Uh... Did you want something, Rarity?" She asked. "Oh, nothing, it's just that you two are so adorable together! I can't believe it has taken me so long to realize how much you mean to each other!" "Aw shucks, thanks 'Rare!" Applejack exclaimed, taken aback by Rarity's words. When they had first told her about their relationship, she had been a bit iffy about it. "Thanks Rarity! She does mean everything to me." Blazing Streak confirmed, smiling warmly at Applejack, who smiled and nuzzled her cheek. "Works both ways, ya old sap!" She replied, planting a brief kiss on Blazing's lips. "Aaaaww!" Blazing Streak's ears twitched when she heard a group of fillies behind them. She turned her head and glanced towards the source of the noise. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle where looking at them with wide smiles on their faces - except Scootaloo, who made gagging faces and crossed her arms. Amused, Blazing let out a small giggle and turned away. She was about to take a bite from her fritter when the ground began to shake. "No! Not again!" She exclaimed. "What in tarnation?" Applejack followed "What's happening?" "Oh dear!" "We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!" "Oh, um, oh my gosh!" "Ohmygoshohmygosh!" "The fuck is happening?" Thunder Slash commented. Blazing Streak got up, discarding her fritter and looked around. She heard a sudden crack and some squeals and snapped her head towards where the fillies had been playing. The ground below them had started to break apart, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle started to run, while Apple Bloom was frozen in shock. At the last second, she started to run, but it was too late, The ground below her split apart and she started falling. "APPLE BLOOM!" Applejack exclaimed, she started galloping in the direction of where her sister had just been. Heart pounding rapidly, Blazing Streak bolted towards the hole, making it in a split second, without thought, she plunged into the hole. Magma was boiling at the bottom, while Apple Bloom was falling towards it. Wings thrusting twice as fast, Blazing picked up as much speed as she could. A cone formed in the narrow space in front of her hooves before exploding into a ball of flame, encased in stone. Just a little bit further! She managed to reach the screaming filly and grab her, mere moments away from plunging into a fiery death. She strained all her wing muscles to pull up, they screamed louder than the filly who was grasping onto her. Blazing gritted her teeth, feeling the heat on her tail before releasing a massive thrust of flame energy downwards with her wings, sending her erupting from harm's way. With Apple Bloom safely in her grip, she rocketed back up to the surface, using her arm to block the passenger from the fire that still hung in the chasm from when she had just broke the sound barrier. She and Apple Bloom burst from the depths of the earth. Once Blazing Streak was sure they were out of harms way, she started to head for ground. She put Apple Bloom near her friends, who were all watching in fear, and crouched in front of them, partly to rest her sore wings. "You all okay?" She was relieved to see that they all nodded. As sheturned away, she felt something grasp her leg tightly. Looking back, she saw Apple Bloom hugging her front left leg. "Thank ya fer savin' me, Blazin'!" She exclaimed." Blazing had no idea how to react to this. After a few heartbeats, she returned the hug. "No problem." She stated. She heard hoof steps rapidly growing closer. Breaking the hug and turning around, she saw Applejack with a frantic look plastered on her face. "Apple Bloom! Are you okay?!" She reached the filly and pulled her into a tight hug. "Ah'm alright, sis, Blazin' saved me!" "Ah know! Ah'm so glad yer okay!" She replied breaking the hug and nuzzling her little sister's cheek. When she broke apart, she turned her attention towards Blazing. "Oh, thank ya so much fer doin' that!" She flung herself into Blazing, hugging her and pressing her lips against her. The red Pegasus at the receiving end blushed and kissed back. A Sparking noise made Blazing break the kiss, she turned to observe the small opening. Light blue sparks were shooting out into the sky at high speeds. She reared up on her hind legs and flared her wings in front of the fillies and her wife protectively. She was expecting something to burst out and attack them, but instead it started to close up again, the bolts of unknown energy ceasing their ascent from the hole. The crevices turned to cracks, which then sealed. Blazing made herself relax. Confused at what she had just witnessed. The others rushed over, worried looks on their faces. "Are you all okay?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, we're fine." Blazing replied. "Oh thank Celesti-" "Naw, thank Blazin'! If it weren't fer her, Celestia knows Ah could have lost Apple Bloom!" Applejack corrected. "We saw that." Thunder Slash commented, curtly. "Do any of you have any idea what that was?" Blazing asked, ignoring Thunder Slash. "If I were to take a guess, I would say that was how some ponies came back to life the other day." Twilight observed. "Girls, I have some good news that Ah was gonna tell ya'll." She waited for everyone's attention before she started. "One o' the ponies that came back was Granny Smith!" She exclaimed. The rest of them gasped before pulling each other into a group hug. The only pony that wasn't in it was Thunder Slash, who sighed, frustrated. "Oh, don't act so pleased Slash." Blazing stated, deadpanned. Twilight shifted uncomfortably when the rest of them had broke apart from the hug. "Whatever." Thunder Slash retorted, giving Blazing the cold shoulder. "I can't believe that arrogant pile of feathers." Blazing muttered, sighing. She suddenly felt guilt rush through her as she realized she might have ruined the happy mood. Turning towards her friends, she was relieved to see them all in good spirits despite the close call that had happened minutes before. Blazing felt anxiousness rise in her heart. If anything, this was a sign of things to come, things that wouldn't wait long.