//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Blaze Of Glory // Story: Keys of My Destiny // by RageLokiCat //------------------------------// "I must be seeing things." I said to myself as I shook my head and kept walking. Soon, I found myself at Sugarcube Corner. Deciding I had nothing better to do, I walked inside. Pinkie was behind the counter, organizing baked goods on shelves. She looked up when she heard the door bell, smiling happily. "Hia Blaze! Did you have fun at the party yesterday? I hope so! It wouldn't be a good party if someone didn't have fun!" She said quickly, before I had a chance to think. I blinked a few times as the information crawled through my brain, and then finally was able to reply. "Hi. Yes, I had fun. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble after the incident with the punch..." I said with a laugh. She shook her head, her mane poofing in every direction. "Nope, you were fine! Oh, and those colors are the same with all my parties, just so you know next time!" She replied, giggling. It was my turn to shake my head, although my mane was far less entertaining. I looked at the display case that stood in front of me, then looked up again. "So what do you recommend? You're the tasty food expert; I shall rely on your superior knowledge in this department." I said, with a mock fancy accent. She fell right into step, adding her own degree of loftiness. "Mmm yes... Normally, I might say a cupcake, but on a day like today, one would be best served by something cool, perhaps a milkshake. Would that suit your tastes?" She said, trying in vain to hold in a laugh. I smiled before responding. "It would indeed. Might I inquire as to the possible flavor selection available to me?" I said, keeping up the act, and smiling at Pinkie. She giggled, then collected herself. "We have a variety of available flavors, including: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint, Apple, Cinnamon Bun, Caramel Swirl, Coffee, and Cherry. Does one of those sound as though it would suffice?" She asked, this time keeping a straight face. I thought about it for a few seconds, trying to decide. "I do believe that 'Caramel Swirl' would be satisfying to no end, might I get a milkshake of that variety?" I said. She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, where I heard the sounds of a mixer. ! Wow, now that I'm finally in control of my own meals, I am doing a terrible job eating healthy. Eh, gotta live a little, I suppose. ! I said to myself as I waited. A few minutes later she came back and handed me my milkshake. I took a long slurp, contemplating the flavor. "I'm not sure how to say this all fancy like, but this is amazing! Exactly what I wanted. How much will this be?" I asked with a chuckle as I continued to slurp. "Two bits." Pinkie said, still smiling. I fished two out of my bag, then, thinking better of it, grabbed a third, and handed them to her. She counted them with a puzzled look as I turned and walked over to one of the table. "Keep the change, I got paid today." I said, sitting down at one if the single pony tables. She nodded in thanks, putting the coins somewhere hidden. I spent the next ten minutes sitting peacefully at the table, slurping at my milkshake and watching the ponies outside go by. Soon, however, it was gone, and I was left with an empty glass. Sighing heavily, I walked the glass over to the dirty dish return, which at the moment was empty. I placed my glass down, and headed out of the shop, noticing that the clock above the door said it was 2:50. Let's see if I can make these last 19 bits last long enough to pay back Fluttershy, at least. I said to myself as I looked around for some excitement waiting to happen. "Or not..." I said out loud as I saw the quiet, calm street. As I tried to decide which way to go, I heard a sound like rushing wind above me, and looked up to see the blue and yellow streaks from earlier. I followed them visually down until I lost them behind some buildings. Determined to find their source, I head off in the direction that they went at a fast trot. A few minutes later, I found myself at the age of town. Ahead of me there was a peaceful meadow, filled with flowers and other interesting plants. I heard familiar giggling nearby, and found a small path leading into the meadow. I slowly crept along it, taking care not to be seen. Soon, I was at the edge of a small clearing with a lone tree standing in it. Suddenly, the air around me was very cold, like someone turned off the sun, and my mind felt a little hazy, but I ignored it and focused on what I was looking at. Resting up against the tree was Fluttershy, and next to her... "Oh Rainbow, I'm so glad we could get together today. I really missed you while I was gone." She said, with none of her usual shyness. "I missed you too, Flutters." Rainbow Dash said, leaning in towards Fluttershy. Fluttershy responded by kissing her lightly, then leaned back again with a happy sigh. "I was so worried when Rarity told me you had brought a stallion with you from Canterlot; I thought you were leaving me." Rainbow Dash said, looking over at Fluttershy, who responded hastily. "Of course not! Blaze is just a friend..." She said, and Rainbow Dash seemed to believe her. I thought I heard the tiniest bit of uncertainty in her voice though. "Ya, but did you really have to invite him to stay at your house? I mean, what if he gets the wrong idea?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy was silent for a little while before responding. "I couldn't just leave him on the street, could I? And besides, he's smart, he'll be fine. I promise I won't let my new friendship with him affect our relationship, ok?" Fluttershy said, kissing Rainbow Dash on the cheek. Rainbow Dash sighed, before quietly agreeing. I began to slowly back up, then after a few seconds, turned around and ran full speed away from them. I slowed only once I was back inside the town, leaning on a wall to catch my breath. OK, so Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are in a relationship. Totally fine with that, it's their choice. Rainbow resents me because she thinks I'm going to steal Fluttershy. Good to know. Fluttershy doesn't seem to be entirely sure that I'm not interested. Fortunately for her, I don't think I am so that solves that. Question is, do I let Fluttershy know I found out? The last question stuck out in my mind. On one hoof, things were already pretty uncomfortable with her from the incident last night. On the other, I didn't want to hide the truth from her, especially because I could see it making life difficult. Ok, you win. I'll tell her that I found out by accident today when we meet up later. I said to myself as if there was somepony else I was talking to. I walked back into town, this time heading towards The Boutique. I entered carefully, knowing how expensive everything was. This time Rarity was on the first floor, and she spun around when the door opened. "Ah, hello darling. What can I help you with?" She said, walking over. "Well, uh, has Fluttershy come by already?" I asked carefully, pushing off thoughts of my recent discovery. "No, I don't believe so, unless she came through while I was out getting lunch." She said thoughtfully. I shook my head. "That wouldn't make any sense. So uh, you and Applejack walked us home last night, and you actually came inside with us, right?" I asked apprehensively. She nodded. "So, uh, do you have any idea what in Equestria happened once we got there. We woke up... Suggestively on her bed, and if anything happened I'll never forgive myself." I said, blushing. She nodded understandingly. "Unfortunately, I can't help you. All I did was get you two some water so that you wouldn't want to die this morning, and make sure you didn't crash into anything when going to bed. I have no idea what happened after." She said, and my heart sank. Now we'll never know... I thought before responding. "Well, thanks for your help anyway. If Fluttershy comes by, please don't tell her you don't know. I think I can handle the slim possibility that something happened, but she shouldn't have to deal with that. And don't tell her I was here, please." I said sadly. Rarity nodded and brushed up against me comfortingly. "Of course dear. But I'll tell you, you seem pretty honorable and responsible, I don't think you would have let anything bad happen, even drunk." She said, turning away. I sighed and picked my head up. "I hope you're right." I said, turning back towards the door. "Feel free to let me know if there's anything else you need help with!" She said as I opened the door. "Will do." I said before exiting onto the street again. I decided to go somewhere quiet and practice my magic some more, since clearly I still had a long way to go. I turned back down the street, in the direction of the meadow. Instead of entering where I had before, though, I walked further along until I found another path. This one led much further down, until finally at the bottom it met up with a small pond. Nearby, there was a group of overhanging trees dipping down to the pond. I put my bags down under those trees, then walked over to the edge of the water. It was very clean, as much as any pool I had ever seen. I looked around to see it there was anyone else nearby, then I slowly worked my way into the cold water. It was refreshing on so warm a day. I was about to jump the rest of the way in when I remembered the wrap around the hole in my side. As quickly as I was healing, I can probably safely take this off. I said to myself as I began to unwrap my bandages. As the final layer fell off, I was amazed to see that I had almost completely healed, and the only indication was that the hair where the cut was had gained a softer texture and was lighter. I piled the old bandages next to my bag and jumped in the pond. The water against my hair was odd, but at the same time, comfortable. I slowly paddled around, not really sure how to swim with hooves and legs. After a while I got used to it, though, and was soon back to swimming like a fish. I must have spent much longer in the pond then I had thought, because by the time I got out I actually found it difficult to stand. With a laugh to myself, I shook off, spraying water everywhere. It was every bit as satisfying as I had always imagined it to be. "If I'm going to practice magic, I should probably get started, before I liquefy in the pond." I said with a laugh to myself. I looked around for something to use my magic on. I spied a flat, round stone, and got an idea. Using my magic, I brought it over, then I focused on it differently. In this case, I wanted it to spin, not move. I imagined it rotating, and soon it was spinning away. Now the question is, can I do both? I wondered. To my satisfaction, I was capable of both. I brought the spinning rock behind me, tipped it slightly, then threw it forward at the water as hard as I could. My efforts were rewarded with a solid 'Thunk' as the rock hit and promptly sank. Determined not to give up, I grabbed another rock. I repeated the process, but this time I tipped the rock even further up. I sent it speeding forward again, and this time it hit the pond once, bounced, and cleared the rest of the pond with the second jump. I stood with a puzzled look on my face, trying to figure out what I just saw. "Does... Does that count? Did I win?" I asked jokingly with a laugh to myself. I grabbed more rocks and slowly improved my precision and accuracy, at the cost of most of the rock on the side of the pond I was standing on. By the time I was done, it was getting to be late in the afternoon, bordering on evening. I grabbed my bags and the old bandages, stuffing them into my non-occupied bag. I headed back into town, where it was starting to get a little busier. I looked around, but didn't see anyone I recognized, so I began to work my way slowly to Fluttershy's house. I wasn't sure what exactly I was going to say to her, but I knew I'd figure it out when I got there. A few minutes later, I was standing in front of her door, contemplating whether to knock or not. I decided to, since I had really been lived there very long. I knocked, and heard the sound of hooves rapidly drawing closer from the other side. The door opened, and around it peeked Fluttershy. I smiled, and she opened the door then rest of the way. "Hello Blaze. There's no need for you to knock, since you're living here after all." She said, smiling back. "Ya, I just don't want to be rude or anything." I said as I walked in. She closed the door, then spoke again. "So, um, how was your day? I see you got some new bags." She said. That reminded me of my debt, and I grabbed a sliver coin from my bag and gave it to her. "I got paid a little today; that should be about what you spent on me in Canterlot." I said, motioning to the coin. She looked at me in shock, then spoke quietly. "Are... Are you sure? It really wasn't all that much money, and I can't imagine you have much to give away." She said with a concerned look at me. "Well you're sorta right, I only have nine bits left, but I'm not giving it away, I'm paying for my meals. Late." I added with a laugh. She smiled a little. "Well, if you're sure..." She said, putting the coin on the counter behind her. We were silent for a little while, so I decided to ask her about her time with Rainbow Dash. "So, did you have a nice day with Rainbow Dash?" I asked, as if it was totally normal. She looked at me in shock, her face turning a light shade of pink. "I... I uh... I did, yes. But... How did you know?" She stammered, still looking confused. I grinned before responding. "I was walking by the meadow and happened to see you guys... Together..." I said, trailing off. I had just remembered something from Canterlot. When we were in the library, she said she had never been on a date. And yet... Anger began to grow inside me, and I glared at her. She shrank down, clearly aware something was wrong. "You... Lied. You lied to me. How could you? What had I done to deserve that?!" I asked, nearly yelling. Tears were forming in her eyes, but at that moment I didn't care. "I... I don't understand..." She said, as tears began to roll down her face. "You lied to me, at the library. You said you had never been on a date, and considered the only time you saw her yesterday was at the party, where we were both very drunk, I doubt that today was a first date. How could you? It meant a lot to me, that I wasn't alone. And you had to go and ruin that!" I said, furious now. Beneath me, the floor was starting to smoke, but I paid no attention. She sat down on the floor, crying heavily now. "Wh... What do... You mean? We... Aren't dating..." She said shakily. I glowered even more, and responded through clenched teeth. "You're trying to tell me that you kissed her, but aren't dating? What the Hay kind of excuse is that?" I said, and the smoke around my feet grew thicker. She looked up at me, her face showing her confusion through the tears. "What..? I didn't kiss... Her..." She said slowly. I took a step back in surprise. But... I know I saw her! "That can't be possible. I know what I saw!" I said, less angry and more confused now. I heard Fluttershy sniffle and looked over to see her still crying, but less so now. "Are you sure... It was actually us... You saw? Did you feel anything... Strange before, that might have given away... A magic spell or something like that?" She said, collecting herself a little. I looked down at the floor to think, and that's when I saw the marks. I had, sometime during my fit of rage, burned hoof shaped marks into her floor where I was standing. I... I didn't cast and magic though... I thought. Shaking it off, I tried to remember what happened. I remembered the cold feeling, and the haziness. "Ya, I guess. I mean, right before, it got super cold, and my head felt a little hazy. Does that mean anything?" I asked. She sniffles again and wiped some of the tears off her face. "Well... It sounds like the effects of a magic creature I read about once. I don't remember the name, but it infected the mind of its victims, and makes them see something that will cause them grief or anger, then it feeds on those emotions. I think you might have gotten infected by it." She said quietly, looking away from me. I took another step back, horrified. She didn't... Do anything wrong? BUCK! "Oh my... I can't believe I yelled at you! What the buck is wrong with me?!" I said, anger at myself forming. She looked at me with concern. "You didn't do anything wrong, Blaze. I'm ok." She said, trying to keep me calm. It didn't work, and I spun to look at her. "How can you say that? I'm such an asshole!" I said, before I rapidly dashed for the door, flung it open, and ran off into the rapidly approaching night. Behind me I heard Fluttershy call out, but I soon lost her voice. After a minute or so of running, I slowed in a darker part of the forest. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. I had never been out here, and Fluttershy's house was long out of sight. "Shit, now I'm lost. At least nopony will miss me, now that I've pretty much told Fluttershy that she's worthless." I said, trying to figure out where I had just come from. Every direction looked the same, and I soon gave up. I sat down, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. "How could I yell at her? Why couldn't I have even considered other options before being terrible? WHY?" I yelled into the night, before punching the ground in anger. To my amazement, my hoof began to glow before it hit, and upon impact, sparks were thrown in every direction. "What is it with fire? I keep setting things on fire..." I said, looking at my hoof, which was normal again. "I wonder..." I stood up, then focused intently in front of me. Twilight said all I need to do is imagine what I want to happen, and channel energy into that idea... Suddenly, about a meter away, a small flame appeared, floating in mid air. "Ok, now THAT is cool." I said, channeling into it more, and watching it grow. "If anyone is going to find me, a flare is a good place to start." I said. I closed my eyes, calming my mind, then with a flash I opened them and shot a narrow, but bright pillar of fire into the sky. I released the spell with a gasp and collapsed to my knees. Above me, it flickered out, then died. I sat on the ground, breathing heavily, hoping somepony would show up. After almost ten minutes of silence in the darkening forest, though, I realized it didn't work. I stood up, determination setting in. Stood silent, eyes shut, gathering strength from every part of my body. I slowly opened my eyes, then looked up. First, a small flame. Then it rapidly grew into a huge ball, almost two meters across. It was burning up my reserves too quickly, and I almost lost it. I gave it a spin and launched it flying up, holding it for as long as I could. Just when I felt it slipping, I ripped it apart, causing a massive explosion and trails of flame in every direction. I fell to the ground and passed out, my energy completely gone. "Do you think he's still alive?" "I hope so, but he shouldn't be, after a display of magic like that. That would easily have killed any normal pony."