//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Shepherd Of Fire // Story: Through the Fire and Flames // by Rhodesm96 //------------------------------// Canterlot, Morning Celestia finished raising the sun and stood back for a moment, admiring her handiwork. Turning around, she exited the tower and found one of her aides waiting for her. "Ah, Lemon Hearts. How can I help you?" She said. "Your highness." She said, bowing. "I have a report from the Captain of the royal guard. Apparently, a squad of guards who were investigating a Nightmare-worshipping cult were attacked last night by a monster. They said it was like nothing they'd ever seen before." Lemon Hearts took a folder out of her saddlebags and handed it to Celestia, who took it with her magic. "In that folder are reports from several of the guards involved in the attack. There is a sketch of how the creature looked according to the guards' report, and one of some kind of magical weapon that it wielded, too." She continued. Celestia skimmed through the papers, before pulling out the sketch. On it was a detailed drawing of what looked like a cross between an instrument and a battleaxe. Several notes accompanied the drawing, stating approximate dimensions of it and such. The notes stated that energy sprang from it, and that the creature appeared to be able to control it with sound. She turned the paper over, and her eyes widened in shock. The sketch that showed the monster that had attacked her guards revealed a creature similar to the human she had met yesterday, Jason. This one appeared to be thinner, however, and had longer hair. Celestia turned to Lemon Hearts sharply. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Excuse me, but there's somebody I need to speak to." Celestia said. Jason sat up in bed, yawning. He walked over to his balcony, seeing that the sun had just risen. Grinning to himself, he lit up his hand. He stood there for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of the flames on his skin. After a moment, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his packet of cigarettes, frowning as he saw he was down to his last two. I'll have to buy some more, somehow. He thought to himself. Do these ponies even have cigarettes? Damn it, they'd better. He lit one of the cigarettes with his hand, and inhaled deeply. As he exhaled there was a knock at his door. He walked over to it and opened it, seeing one of the royal guards. "Oh, uh, can I help you?" He asked. "Jason the human." Said the guard. "The Princess requests your presence." Jason waved a hand at him dismissively. "Yeah, okay, just give me a second." He said. He turned back to his room, before realising that he had slept in his clothes and he was already dressed. "Uh, nevermind I guess." He said. "Lead the way." Jason followed the guard as he lead him to Celestia's throne room. Upon arriving, he greeted her with a bow. "Your highness." He said. "Jason." She responded, inclining her head. "Guards, please leave us." She said, addressing the other ponies in the room. "I wish to speak with Jason in private." As they filed out, she got up from her throne and walked over to him. "Jason," She said, once they were alone. "There is something very serious I need to speak with you about." "Well, that doesn't sound good." He said. "What is it?" "Last night," She began, "A group of my guards who were out in an area of Equestria known as Hollow Shades investigating rumours of cultist activity were attacked by a monster who defended the cultists. This monster, they reported, was bipedal, wore clothing, and was almost furless, save for a patch atop its head." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Does this sound familiar, by any chance?" Jason was taken aback. "Wait, do they mean another human?" He said. "This creature does fit your description." She said. "It is likely to be a human, yes." "Well... that's good, right?" He said, uneasily. "I mean, I thought I'd never see another human." "While I understand that you are excited to hear of the existence of another member of your species, this human has attacked my guards with no provocation. You must understand, it is likely hostile and certainly dangerous." Celestia warned him. "It's weapon devastated an entire platoon of my finest with almost no effort." Oh, shit. Jason thought to himself. "Weapon?" He asked nervously. Knowing his race, he was expecting something along the lines of a machine gun or grenades. "Yes, and it appeared to be magical. It produced bolts of lightning when struck." Or not. Jason thought. That doesn't sound like any weapon that I know of. "I must request your assistance on the matter, Jason." Celestia continued. "None of my little ponies have experience dealing with humans or their weapons. You, however, do. You could help us understand what we are dealing with here. I want you to examine what we know of this creature and see what you can tell us about them." She floated to him the same file that Lemon Hearts had given her earlier that day. "In this file is everything that we know about this human, including a rough sketch of them and their weapon. Look through it, please. Your knowledge could be instrumental in helping us apprehend this creature." Jason leafed through the folder warily. He knew that he had never heard of a weapon that could shoot lightning outside of fiction, and therefore would be of little help in identifying it. He also knew, however, that the ponies had been kind to him so far, and he would not stand idly by while this person attacked them. He stopped his reading on a page showing a sketch of the human. The person in question had dark, shoulder length hair. They wore a jacket which appeared to be made from leather, and dark jeans. To Jason, they looked all too familiar. No. He thought It can't be him. I know he could be an asshole, but he wouldn't do something like this. He turned over the page, and fell to his knees, the file falling from his grasp. Celestia saw him collapse and rushed over to him. "Jason? What's wrong?" She asked. Jason could only stare at the paper, too shocked to respond. There, on a paper, in a folder about a dangerous monster, on another world, possibly another dimension, was a drawing of his brother's guitar. It was unmistakable. Jason said nothing, as he began to weep. "I..." He began, but found he could not finish his sentence. Celestia knelt next to him, draping a wing over his shoulder. "Jason?" She asked. "Are you alright?" He swallowed and looked at her, tears in his eyes. "This human..." He said, shakily. "He's my brother. He was with me when I got sent here, he must have been pulled along as well. He... I just don't understand why he'd do something like this. I mean, sure, he was an asshole at times, but he never hurt anyone." "...It is possible," Celestia said, "That he does not realise he is on the wrong side of this conflict. Perhaps, if we can talk to him, we can get him to cooperate with us." "That wouldn't work. He's a right stubborn idiot, he wouldn't listen to any of your ponies." Jason rose to his feet again. "But I know someone he may listen to." Celestia nodded. "If you truly think you can reach him, then you are welcome to try. You know him better than anyone else in this world. Besides, I think that this cult has become enough of a thorn in my side lately. I will dispatch some troops to try and disband this cult, and I would like you to go along with them to try and talk to your brother. Do not worry about your safety, however. I shall send you with many guards." "Don't." Jason said. "If I'm with a lot of your ponies, he probably won't trust me as much. It'd be better if once the attack began, I spoke to him alone. Besides which," Celestia shielded her eyes, as Jason's arms became wreathed in fire, his hair glowed red, and his eyes turned crimson. He appeared just as he had looked when she first met him, when he had destroyed part of Canterlot. "I think I'll be able to handle myself."