//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Abandoned Past // Story: Sunny Investigations // by sunnyday //------------------------------// Pickles and Sunny were lounging around in the S.I.A main office absolutely bored out of their minds. Pickles' restaurant was closed for the day and business was really slow for Sunny. The only thing they've had to do all day was find a lost cat which really was at the owner's house in the first place. Well, all this nothing to do got Sunny thinking about something he heard in the Flame Gang's mansion a week ago. What exactly was with Don Honcho calling Pickles "Flame Burst?" So he decided to try his luck and ask Pickles about it. "Hey, Pickles?" Sunny was a bit nervous of how Pickles would react to the question. "What exactly was Don Honcho talking about you being called 'Flame Burst' and stuff?" Pickles' face immediately seized up in anger and sadness at the exact same time. All the memories of old times began rushing to him at once for some reason. ---(ACTIVATE FLASHBACK MODE!)--- "ALRIGHT GUYS!" Flame Burst yelled at the room full of cheering unicorns. "Tonight was just a small victory in this turf war! You can bet your flanks that there will be many more to come! Now, let me brief you guys on our next attack." Flame turned behind him and yelled at the foal who was standing off to the side. "Don! Go get the turf map!" The young Don Honcho left and shortly returned with a large map that clearly marks out 3 different gangs' territories. Don carefully placed the map on a pedestal where everyone in the room could see it. "Alright, you see that small bit to the north of us? That used to be part of White Noise's territory, now its ours thanks to tonight. What I want to do now is wipe out the rest of their turf in a huge surprise attack. What we're going to do is hurry through the Black Riders' home in the Everfree Forest and hit up White Noise from the side unexpectedly. They'll never see it coming!" This caused another cheer from the crowd, praising their leader. "Now everyone get ready! Tomorrow is when we'll head out. For now, I want Gatling Gun and Jim Shot to follow me." Flame walked off to his private room. Gatling and Jim were Flame's right hand men, he would trust those two with everything he had to live for if he had to. Gatling Gun was an extremely large-built colt who had incomparably hoof-to-hoof strength, while Jim was a little on the small side, but Don Honcho sneaked into the room and hid behind a small corner table to listen to the colts speak. Flame was the first to speak up, "Alright, I have jobs for you two." Flame let the plan run through his again one more time before he spoke again. "Jim, I'm going to need you to plan the best route and attack strategy to where we can cause the most damage to the White Noise. Gatling, you're going to lead the guys into the attack. You'll have to hit them with everything you have in order to really make this effective." Gatling and Jim nodded, but Jim had his doubts about how this plan was going to work out. "Um, sir, may I say something?" Jim said, unsure if he will be punished for making his doubts known. "What is it?" Flame raised an eyebrow. "Well... What if they have something set up for us? I'm not so sure that we will be able to take them by surprise." Flame took a step towards Jim and make Jim flinch. He was prepared to get struck. "Yes... well, me too actually. I'm just going to bank on the fact that they don't see us coming. If they do, well... Let's just say that there will be many unmarked graves to be made. We have to do this or White Noise will come at us and kill us all indefinitely." Jim nodded and Gatling just stood silent. "Alright, it's time to rest up. Good night, guys." The two colts left Flame to his thoughts. Now, Don Honcho heard this whole conversation and was surprised at Flame's attitude toward this. Like something was forcing him to make this attack. Don made a silent promise to himself to get so strong that no one could stop him or force him to do anything. Don was able to leave silently without Flame overhearing him. "Damn... I hope we're able to make it tomorrow. If we don't... Who knows what White Noise will do to Ponyville?" Flame slowly left the room and went to sleep in one the available beds. It was the morning, the ponies were all lined up and ready to march through the Everfree Forest. Flame Burst and Gatling Gun led the front of the makeshift army. "ALRIGHT STALLIONS! LET US MOVE THROUGH AND DEFEAT WHITE NOISE!" The crowd cheered as they began galloping through the forest. Almost immediately as they entered the forest Flame felt as if something was really wrong, almost like something was following them. He was right. As they were in the middle of Everfree Forest they were jumped by a group of Black Rider and White noise gang members. All over was the meaningless bloodshed. Before their very eyes Don and Flame saw everyone they knew and loved slaughtered in the midst of battle. After the first five minutes, Flame saw Gatling get thrown into a tree. The image of the splattering gore were burned into his mind as his best friend collided with the tree. Jim's poor mauled body was shortly to follow, along with most of the crew who didn't retreat from the battle. Flame knew it was his fault, he was the one who brought them into this, he was the one who came up with the plan. That made him responsible for all their deaths. Flame had no problems getting rid of the ambush, and Don was able to run away. After everything was cleared, Flame stood in the battlefield, looking at all the dead ponies that lay before him. Before he was able to honor them, he heard more ponies headed his way, so He booked it out of the forest as fast as he could, the blood stained all over his coat and mane. Even after he got out, he kept running, running away from the damage he had caused, all the lives he helped take. He tried to tell himself that it was all a part of the business, but he still couldn't help feel like leaving. So that's what he did, he kept on running until he collapsed from exhaustion in the middle of Ponyville. It was then he met Twilight, she saw the condition he was in and took him into her Library and offered him a temporary place to stay. When he was asked his name, he went under the falsity of Pickles the cook, seeing as how that was his talent he could pull that off extremely well. He also faked Amnesia, claiming to have no memories of what happened before he was in Ponyville. With this, Flame completely abandoned his old memories and tried to begin new ones in Ponyville with his new name and restaurant. ---(END FLASHBACK MODE)--- "I'm sorry to burst your bubble Sunny," Pickles said with a fake laugh, "But I don't really know what you're talking about. I don't have any idea of what happened to before I came here to Ponyville, so I wouldn't be able to tell you the answer to that. Sunny lifted an eyebrow. But back at the mansion, he mentioned of when he was in charge. I guess he doesn't want to talk about it then, I won't push him. Sunny smiled, "Alright then. I guess you don't know then. Well, I think I'm going to go take a nap, nothing else really seems to be happening today. Talk to you later, Pickles." Sunny yawned and left the room. Pickles sighed, he was glad that Sunny seemed to buy his excuse. Reliving all those bad memories reminded Pickles of something, the White Noise. They have plans to take over Ponyville, and he was certain that they were going to try sometime soon after all this waiting.