The Flames of the Phoenix

by FrostTheWolf

10- Renegade

Next Morning

        Like most mornings, Ember was an early riser. Unlike the last few times though, everypony else she knew though was just asleep. Big Mac and Frost both tired themselves out with the amount of training that they were doing and were asleep in the barn, Applebloom was having a Sleepover at the Carousel Boutique and Caesar was still in recovery back at Zecora’s hut. She wanted to just watch the sunrise that morning, but life had other plans for her as she felt a familiar tug that the Pyromancer had felt two times already. Ember looked at the Grandfather clock in the Kitchen as it read 4:30am on the dot.

        “Pfft. Should be simple enough. I’ll be back in time for when I introduce Caesar to everypony else.”

        With that, Ember disappeared with a quick flicker of fire, leaving nothing behind except for ashes and cinders.

Meanwhile… 

        The Renegades. That’s what they called themselves. Four friends who ended up in Equestria and decided to live by their own set of rules. Especially since how they got there was almost like what happened when you reach 88 miles per hour in Back to the Future. On their journey, they made some friends along the way. Including a Shifter named Kat and a robotic filly that went by the name “SweetieBot”. They had been on the run for the past couple of days after a simple misunderstanding went completely south and now, they were seen as Fugitives just because they fought back against the Royal guards that tried to wrongfully imprison them.

        “Tch, I can’t believe we’re labeled criminals just because we defended ourselves from Sunbutt.” Said the Gravity shifter named Kat, as she levitated the car that her and a few other friends that she was with into the air. “I mean really? You expect us to just surrender and go to jail?”

        “Well, you did crush Celestia with your gravity powers.” SweetieBot replied. “That’s pretty much frowned upon in Equestria.”

        “Don’t forget hitting Blueblood with the car.”

        “Shut up, Mike.”

        “That’s Dusty to you sis, and you pretty much made things worse for us.” The cat meowed back, rolling his starry eyes.

        “Look whatever, let’s just get in the car and leave this place so we can.” Before Daidouji was able to finish speaking, something peculiar had landed on the windshield. It looked like a burning feather and the looks of it caught the attention of the starry feline.

        “Hey guys, any idea what this looks like?”

        “It looks like a feather.” Said Kumatora. “A very pretty feather if I do say so myself. Hey Dusty, can you get that and bring it over here so I can take a closer look?”

        “Give me a second.” He said as he levitated the feather from outside, into the car. “Think it belongs to a bird?”

        “I don’t know. I mean, what bird looks like a burning fire?” Daidouji asked. However, something else was beginning to happen as Dusty’s nose began to twitch. “Uh oh…”

        “Ah… ah… CHOO!!!”

        “Eww!! Not on my clothes!!” Daidouji complained. “Don’t you have any manners at all, stupid cat!?!”

        “Uhh… I don’t think that should be our major concern.” Came the reply from the Filly robot in the back seat as the feather began to go up in a spiral of fire. As the shifter was about to get on the Starry Cat’s case for causing the feather to disappear, something else crashed on the hood of the car, causing the airbags to deploy and smack Kat and Kumatora in the face.

        “DAMN IT!!! Now I need to call my State Farm Agent!!!”

        “I don’t think that works here-.”

        “SCREW THE RULES, I HAVE SUPERPOWERS DAMMIT!!!”

        “Um not to get off topic or anything, but I think someone or something hit us?”

        “No Sh*t!!” Dusty cursed. That was… Until he realized something. “Hey, who’s the chick on the hood of the car?”

        “Don’t know, don’t care. What I do know is that she better have money on her to pay for the damage she caused to my sweet ride.”

        “You mean the car that bought from you uncle for $25?” Asked Kumatora.

        Around now though was when the smoke began to clear up and the new arrival can see all of them. It was another girl with a long red scarf, Grey t-shirt and jeans with sandals. But also, this was when they saw the extent of the damage of the car. Where the complete front end of it was totaled and machine parts were scattered everywhere. She looked up, now seeing the group of renegades. “So… which one of you summoned me and what the hell is going on?”

        “Oh nice going Dusty. You summoned a Displaced by accident, not only that but she totaled our ride.” Kat snarled at Dusty, personally ticked at the cat.

        “Excuse you?” Ember retorted, personally confused on what was happening.

        “What? Never heard of a car before lady?”

        “I have. But for being immortal, I haven’t seen one in over one thousand years. Which reminds me, does anyone smell… burning oil?”

        “Uh oh.” Daidouji stated. “EVERYONE OUT OF THE CAR NOW!”

        Ember herself dashed off of the vehicle in a burst of ash as she reformed next to where Sweetie Bot was and was soon followed by Dusty. Kumatora, Daidouji, and Kat also got away just in time as the automobile exploded, becoming nothing more that burnt metal and car parts. One of the doors from the car even flew open and landed by Daidouji, which Kumatora snickered and told her that she won “The Door Prize”.

        “MY CAR! I ONLY HAD ONE MORE PAYMENT ON THAT!” Yelled Kat, as she focus her attention towards the Displaced Human. “YOU! You better have money or something to repair or replace our ride.”

        “Uhh… I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I see anything close to a repair shop around here. Which makes me wonder, can’t you just use your powers to just fly over somewhere or something? You do look like that one chick from Gravity Rush.” Ember did not play a lot of games when she was back home on Earth, but she did see a LOT of gameplay videos and watched her classmates play different games. So she did kind of recognized who Kat was based off of. As for Daidouji, all she saw her to be was a Genderbent Jotaro Kujo.

        “Okay one I prefer not to waste energy on doing something like, especially when Sunbutt is after us. Two, that car was the only mean of transportation without us having to spend money on a train ride. Which I might add would of gotten us in trouble with the royal guards.”

        “We’re kind of already in trouble-.”

        “SHUT UP, DUSTY!!!”

        All Ember did was sigh. “Okay, what did you do to get on Tia’s bad side?”

        “We ran over Prince Blueblood, beat the living hell out of the Elements of harmony along with stealing them so we wouldn’t be turn to stone. Froze, burn, and/or shocked a few royal guards, and freed Sweetie Bot from her stone imprisonment in the Castle of the royal sisters.” Said Kumatora.

        “Well crap, you definitely had to piss her off.” Ember sighed, rolling her eyes.

        “Understatement of the f***ing millennium lady, now are you paying, fixing, or repairing the damage you caused to my car?” Asked Kat who was tapping her foot in anger.

        “You do realize that I have no bits on me and just some other Displaced’s tokens right?”

        “I don’t care if you were hobo, either you’re gonna pay for this or else.” Kat snarled as Ember facepalmed herself.

        “And just when I thought that Applejack’s temper during the harvest was bad enough-.”

        “Stasis Field.” Kat said as she caught Ember in her field of gravity. Ember’s first reaction to this with the floating debris around her was to use the biggest piece of metal as a launch pad. What Kat had in powers, she had in experience and also speed. With a simple push, she accelerated forward and behind the Shifter, striking her with a burning Roundhouse Kick.

        “If that’s all you got, then I’m disappointed.” Ember retorted, spitting at the ground by her own feet.

        “In case you haven’t notice you’re dealing with a gravity user remember? Which means I can DO THIS!” Kat’s body turn red as she forced Ember onto the ground. Slamming her down though did something the Shifter never expected. Where the Mancer turned into flames that moved with the wind as she reappeared behind her and grabbed her face.

        “I am more than a fire user. I am fire itself. These flames are the flames of a phoenix and can not be dispersed so easily. You seem to only have your powers for a few days. I’ve have over a few generations to master mine. Your arrogance affects your judgement.” When she finished, Ember threw her forward, having Kat land into Dusty.

        “......Dusty.”

        “Yes sis?”

        “Mind making a gravitaional field for the rest of the team?”

        “Can’t we just talk this out?”

        “..........”

        “Fine, I always hate it when you get like this.” Dusty levitated next to Kumatora, Daidouji, and Sweetie Bot and created a field of gravity around them.

        “Now then.” Kat cracks her neck then her knuckles. “Let’s see how good you are.”

        Ember sighed. “A fool’s mistake is to get their friends involved when they rather stay OUT of the conflict that YOU started. Maybe you should actually listen to your Feline Friend. He actually looks a lot smarter than you when it comes to decision making.”

        “The only time I’ll listen to my brother is when sh*t hits the fan, other than that I tend to see how things turn out.” Kat started to stretch her leg muscles. “Plus after what we did to Celestia’s royal guards, and being on the road for the past few days. I’m pretty much bored and I need something to do, and you pretty much-.”

        She wasn’t able to finish her sentence when a stretched out arm of fire grabbed her and threw her down against the ground, making her lose her concentration on the gravity field. Next up, The Pyromancer focused on the other two as Kumatora tried to hit her with PK fire. But as in the saying goes, all the PSI youth did was add fuel to the fire as Ember caught her flame and threw it back at her. Lastly, there was Daidouji as she tried to attack with a flurry of punches and kicks. Ember stayed on her feet and used her speed to dodge her attacks and get behind her. Using her reflexes, she used her leg to grab her from behind and throw her down.

        Now she turned towards Dusty. “So… now that the unnecessary fight is over, mind if we talk about this like normal people?”

        “Normally I would say yes, but something tells me that my sister says otherwise.” Dusty said as he pointed to his sister smashing a green crystal in her hand along with her friends. “Little bit of advice, this is just like a ff13 battle system…..somewhat.”

        “Hey Dusty, you can use your powers to hold them down right? Like how she tried to do it to me earlier?”

        “I’m a NPC that only gives out advice. Sorry lady.”

        “Says the fact that you’re with a group that says “Screw The Rules” as their slogan.”

        “Well it’s better than the last slogan we had.”

        “Let me take a guess.” Ember said, folding her arms. “Renegades for life?”

        “No, but that would be a good slogan. Our last slogan was F**k you that’s how.”

        “And now they’re starting to mess with the wrong Mancer. I basically formed the badlands when my rage erupted back home. But now, I’m part of the Apple Family. You guys met Applejack?”

        “Just be grateful I didn’t activate the battle stage. Oh and yes we… met her.”

        “She’s my niece back where I’m from. Also, mind if I let you on a little secret? I’ve only been using like fifteen percent of my total strength.” Ember whispered the last part. “Oh and I met Mr. Popo.”

        “Cheeky little minx. That would explain why you’re at lvl 100 in this world.”

        “Not to mention that I can basically cause Magma to surge from under their feet if I wanted too.” Ember sighed, snapping a finger and having a spout of Magma surge from under Daidouji’s feet.

        “Elemental rings, a gift that Spike gave them that nullifies any to all types of elemental magic.” Dusty replied.

        “Who said I was using magic?” Ember told her

        “IT BURNS!!!!!!”

        “You can’t die Daidouji. Remember? Battle stage have been activated the moment she did that.”

        “Oh… still, it burns.”

        “Big boobed idiot. I’m surprise she haven’t killed or knocked any guy out with those.”

        “Sexist.” Ember shot back at Dusty. “Besides, consider this like a training exercise or a Tutorial stage because I’m not planning on killing anyone.”

        “Battle stage is set up like a double edge sword.” The Starry Feline told Ember as she looked at the party in front of her. “Both sides are evenly match depending on what level the person is and the conditions of the battle location. Right now, it just one of those tutorial stages seeing how you’re level 100 and these three are only level 10.”

        “Right… So what exactly am I teaching them?” The Fire Mancer asked the cat. “Team coordination or working together as a group?”

        “No, it’s pretty much item using and accessory boosts. We did the whole team coordination with the Elements of Harmony.”

        “Hmm… Should I do something that almost kills them, but teaches them how to use healing items? If so, I got just the thing that I kind of picked up when I met the Ginyu Force.”

        “I wouldn’t worry about that. See the speech bubble above them?” Ember looked and nodded her head, only seeing it partially. “That pretty much will explain to them how to use items in battle.”

        Then, one second later, the bubble disappeared and Ember used it as her cue to blast them with a burst of Flames. “Wildfire” was the name of the attack, but it significantly reduced their health down to size in a raging inferno. “Did that work?”

        Dusty looked at his friends as Kat pulled out a green crystal and smashed it onto the ground. Engulfing the three in a mist a green energy. The mist vanished as the three fighters rose back to their feet, with all their wounds healed. “Does that answer your question?”

        “Yeah, it does. Now, isn’t this a two part tutorial?” Ember asked. “You did say that the other half of the tutorial was focused on accesories or whatever the hell the second part was.”

        “They can equip or switch between whatever gear they have, it’ll help when dealing with those that use elemental, magic, or physical attack. Not only that, but sometimes an item may allow them to use a spell or two.”

        “Like in the Golden Sun games with Djinn?” Ember asked. She remembered finishing Golden Sun: Dark Dawn and how she could use Different kinds of Djinn to perform special abilities and summon various creatures.

        “Something like that yes, but that’s with the tokens they have. Let’s just hope they don’t summon Guardian or you’ll be K.O. in one hit.”

        “Yeah… Something tells me that they might now listen to you.”

        “Maybe, but then again Kat is hard headed at times. Not to mention you wrecked her car so I think she won’t be listening to either of us.”

        “Technically, one of you did summon me so you know the location of where you do it determines where the Displaced will land.”

        “Yet you couldn’t move out of the way or turn to flames when you were being summoned?”

        “One, I was walking through a bright portal and I couldn’t see a damn thing. Two, the moment I could see, I was already on top of the car. and three-.” Before Ember could say three, Kat could be seen channeling a LOT of power around her. “-Is that what you were talking about?”

        “No, but I think she figure out how to make a micro black hole.”

        “You mean mini?”

        “No micro. If she made a mini black hole, then you wouldn’t be here and be sent to lord knows where…… that or kill you just like that manticore they fought when they found Sweetie Bot.”

        “Noted. So I’m guessing were almost done?”

        “Yeah pretty much.” Dusty told her. “I’m going to turn off the battle system now that we finished with the tutorial.”

        “Fine by me. I think I might need to go soon, but I do have a good suggestion for you dealing with the car trouble.” Ember told the cat while the other three girls were walking towards her. “Have you heard of Discord?”

        “Don’t you mean Eris? Goddess of Chaos and Discord?”

        “Something along those lines.” Ember said. “The point being that since she is a Draconequus and uses Chaos Magic, there’s no limits to what she can do. So basically, if you get on her good side, she can conjure a new car for you guys. Maybe a Porsche if you’re lucky.”

        “Kinda hard to get in contact with her when she pretty much trying to keep under the radar from Celestia.”

        “Hmm… Then why don’t you try to go to a place where only she would know about. Like the castle of the twin sisters in the Everfree forest?”

        “We just came from the Everfree.”

        “Huh… If that’s the case, then try going north to Vanhoover or the Crystal Empire. Somewhere where the weather might play a crucial factor to her search efforts.” Ember said, seeing that Dusty was once again holding her summoning token. “Oh and do you guys happen to have a summoning token on you?”

        “Yeah we do.” Dusty levitated three tokens. One was a purple crystal, a Mr. Saturn that didn’t seem to be alive to what Ember could tell, and a bento box. “Here you go.”

        “Thanks. Oh and please stay safe. All of you seriously got guts to be making Celestia mad. I just hope you three don’t get sent to the sun for your actions.” With that, Ember disappeared in another pillar of fire, leaving behind a burnt patch of ground as she returned to her own world and back to the apple farm that she called home. That’s was when though… Kat could be heard yelling in response to the last statement

        “WAIT, WE CAN GET BANISHED TO THE SUN!?! HOW THE HELL IS THAT POSSIBLE?!!”