//------------------------------// // From a distance // Story: The Flaring of an Ember // by Techie Inkwell //------------------------------// Ember left Fluttershy’s cottage and smiled to himself for a moment before walking on quickly, looking for the cutie mark crusaders who had dashed back to the club house to plan more cutie mark crusades, he laughed a little and picked up his trot. The shadow watched from a tree in the distance, seeing Ember vanish over behind the hill, it jumped down and laughed quietly to itself, “Soon Ember…soon you will be mine once more.” It said with a hushed tone that only it could only just hear what it had just murmured. Turning on its hoof quickly it headed back into the Everfree Forest. The shadow darted through the forest with great skill and agility, quickly making it to the other side, just in time to see Ember climb into the small club house of the cutie mark crusaders, for a while it sat there and listened to the conversations within the club house, “Maybe we should try reading some of Twilight’s books again?” it heard Sweetie Bell say, “You looked through her books?” Ember remarked, “She let us when she was teaching us.” Scootaloo chimed, “I see, and what did you learn from it?” “Oh, not too much,” Apple Bloom said, “just boring information about waiting.” “Well, maybe we should just wait?” Ember suggested, the figure smiled to itself, “Oh Ember,” it muttered, “if only you knew what you are…” it waited for a few hours, eating some berries while waiting, after a long time the sound of hooves on wood could be heard. The shadow peered out of the bushes and trees to see Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom walking off to their homes, the shadow chuckled, “Oh how perfect, left alone in the tree house,” looking left and right to check if it was clear, “they don’t seem to be here so…” Just as the figure was about to leave the safety of the forest, Ember climbed down swiftly and looked around again before heading off towards the town, “Darn it. I was so close to getting him before the others…” the shadow slipped back into the darkness of the forest. Before the shady figure had gone far from the bushes, it heard a sound from above, it looked up and gasped, “Oh no.” Another larger figure leapt down from the trees, the first figure quickly jumped out of the way, standing guard against the large figure who had just tried to stop her work, “Oh dear,” it muttered, “it seems that you were expecting me, what a shame that you refused to come and work with us, this whole mess could have been easily avoided.” The small figure snarled, “I wouldn’t have joined you even if Ember’s life depended on it.” “Oh, so you do know him.” “Of course I do, why did you think I was trying to get to him before you could?” “I believed you wanted to hide him away again.” The small figure stared at him with shock, “You think I hid him away? You think I had a choice?” “Well, you did, didn’t you? You could have handed him to…” “No,” it interrupted, “I would never have given him to you…you monsters.” “We,” the larger figure looked down, “are not monsters, we have a job to do and we plan to do it. No matter what.” The large figure stepped forwards as the small figure jumped up into a tree, its hood catching on a branch and pulling it back, it moved so quickly that the larger figure could only get a glimpse of a mare, it smiled to itself, “I know you’re still there Miss, why not come down and face me.” “I’d rather stay up here, nice and safe.” “Safe eh?” It turned around and kicked the truck of the tree, the mare clung onto a branch tightly. It continued to kick for some time before, eventually, giving up and calling, “Fine Miss, you win this time but let me tell you, we’ll get him before you. His demise will be all down to you.” And with that it vanished into the dense forest. She waited for a moment before jumping down and breathing a sigh of relief, she looked around just to make sure before she started walking in the direction she thought she remembered, she had to hand it to the group, they were very determined to get to Ember, but that wasn't a good thing, not for her anyway, “I have to stop them…before they get Ember.” The female headed into the depths of the forest, whenever she passed by a shadow cast by a tree she would jump, thinking the figure had returned for her, she quickened her pace while still looked around her surroundings. She soon came to a clearing that she recognized and turned right through more trees, a hidden shadow following her through the trees. She sighed, allowing herself to relax a little as she near a large tree. This tree, she recalled, belonged to a Zebra named Zecora who was presently out of town for a while, she entered as the shadow that had been following her smiled and vanished. She walked around the tree, getting herself a drink and some food, before getting out a book that had a dark cover, she sat down on a chair she had brought in when she arrived she picked up a quill with her magic and started to write, Dear Sister, I’ve almost got him, today I was close to being able to bring him back to Canterlot but they stopped me again, this time it was one of their more elite stallions, I know you warned me about their persistence but I didn’t think they would be this bad. I do so wish that I did not have to hide myself from the residence of PonyVille but, as you rightly said, I am to noticeable to just walk through the town and get him. Tomorrow I shall try again to collect him, maybe I’ll try and lead him away from the group and into the forest, once I do I shall bring him back to you straight away. As always, I send my love and best wishes. Your sister, Luna.