//------------------------------// // Act 1: A New Game of Hide and Seek // Story: A New Flame // by The Zebra Hybrid //------------------------------// It has been a week since Fluttershy took me in, and surprisingly all my my injuries are fully healed, but my body still feels like I’ve been ran over by a bus. Probably from laying on that couch for so long, but other than that I feel fantastic! I stretched my limbs and let out a long yawn, as I started to move off the couch, until I felt something nibbling my tail. Stopping, I turned my head to see Angel, Fluttershy's pet rabbit, being squished by the weight of my tail. "Oops, sorry little dude." I apologized lifting my tail giving the white rabbit some air, who simply glared at me and hopped off. 'How did he get under there in the first place?' I thought but simply shrugged it off and moved off the couch to see if Fluttershy needed anything. Speaking of Fluttershy, she was a great help with my injuries over the past week. She gave me medicine, food, and even a toothbrush while I was temporarily handicapped! It also turns out that she and her other friends are part of a group called the,,,,Helements of Armory....I think it was.....I don't know, I'm going to have to ask her later. Anyways after I told her I was lost (minus the part of being a human from another world), she told me that I was in a place called Ponyville in a country called Equestria. Walking in the kitchen I spotted Fluttershy who seems to be cooking something on the stove, and it smelt delicious! "Good morning Fluttershy, watchya' cooking?" I ask. "Oh, good morning to you too, James," she answers with a smile, "just making some pancakes." "They smell good." "Thank you, they should be ready soon." nodding in confirmation I sat down at the table, and started to hum a little toon. When the pancakes got finished Fluttershy brought them over and set my plate down in front of me while she put hers across the table. "You seem to be feeling better today." she says snapping me from my trance of the heavenly pancakes in front of me. "Yeah, still a little sore though but I'll be alright." I answer cutting a piece of my pancakes and popping it in my mouth savoring the taste. "Did you have a good sleep last night, because you sweating and moving around a lot." I suddenly stop eating the pancakes at the question. The truth is I've been having that same nightmare over and over again, where it is the same routine. My voice that sounds demonic.........purple ball of fire.....blackness.....and repeat. But I don't want Fluttershy to worry. "I'm fine...it's just...uh....it was really hot last night." I quickly said mentally slapping myself from that terrible lie. "Oh..um..ok?" We ate in silence for the next ten minutes, I would catch her glancing at me from time to time and then quickly look away, but decide to shrug it off like I didn't notice. After we finished eating I thanked her for the meal and took both our plates to wash them in the sink. "Oh, you don't have to do that." she protested. "No, its fine," I say back, "plus you've been doing so much for me, it's time I did something for you." "Well,..um..ok..if you want to." "Are you ok? Your acting more timid than usual." "Well it's just that..." KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK Fluttershy was then cut off by a series of knocks on the door. She excuses herself and walks to the door, I then heard her gasp from the other room making me nervous. I quickly jump out of my chair and made my way over to the living room to see Fluttershy with a scared expression on her face and the crusaders with guilty looks on their faces. Speaking of Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo ,we have grown very close in the past week, they apologized about the whole timberwolf incident, but I simply said it was fine. They have been visiting me, while I've been handicapped, to tell me about their adventures or to bring me some apple soup, but that's besides the point something was wrong and I'm going to find out what. "What's wrong?" I ask lifting an eyebrow. "W-w-well...um..." structured Fluttershy playing with her hooves on the round. "We kind of......accidently......told m'ah sista' that, you were staying at Fluttershy's." said Applebloom. "So? What's wrong with that?" I asked not getting why such it is such a big idea that they told someone I'm here. "Well...Applebloom's sister, Applejack, didn't take it too well." added Sweetie Belle. "Yeah, she totally flipped out! Before we could explain to her that you were really, really cool she took off to get the rest of her friends and are coming here right at this moment, to put you down!" exclaimed Scootaloo. ‘That’s not good.’ "Wait, then how did you get here before them then?" I asked. "Well, duhhhh! We ran here as fast as we can when Applejack stormed off." "Then what are going we to do?" I asked. Fluttershy and the crusaders all shrugged with sad looks on their faces, I can't just leave them. Maybe if I just fly out and.....no, because if what Fluttershy told me about Rainbow Dash being the fastest flier in Equestria, and this Twilight Sparkle being an all powerful alicorn was true, I might be in trouble. Fighting my way out is definitely not an option, since first I'll probably lose even though I maybe have at most seventy-five percent of my strength back, plus I don’t want Fluttershy and the crusaders to think I’m some monster. "What if you just hide somewhere in the cottage, then I'll convince the girls that his was all a misunderstanding." suggested Fluttershy in her usually quiet voice. "That...might work." I reply putting a claw to my chin. Our attention was then interrupted from the loud banging on the door. The five of us jump in surprise and quickly glance at the door. "Fluttershy! Are ya' in there?!" called a female voice with a strong southern accent. "Coming." called out Fluttershy before turning to me and the crusaders, "Girls, go take James and hide him in the kitchen." The crusaders and I nod in confirmation and quickly and quietly head to the kitchen, "So where am I supposed to hide." I asked trying to find out where to hide. "How about under the table?" asked Scootaloo. "No, Scoots that's too obvious." I reply. I panicked as I hear the front door opening and quickly jump in a random cabinet and shutting it. I hear the crusaders groan in defeat outside the cabinet as I shuffle around in the cramped space and mentally cursing under my breath. "This is some bullshit." Fluttershy was taken back by her friends, barging in as she opened the door to let them in."Um...hello girls, w-w-what brings you here?" asked Fluttershy looking around nervously. "Fluttershy are you ok?!" asked Twilight worriedly, "where's the dragon at?" "Yeah! I'm read to pummel this guy in a pulp when I get my hooves on him!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "Um..girls,,,if you might calm down for a sec-" "Come on we gotta' find this thang before it hurts anypony else." said Applejack cutting off Fluttershy, "Don't ya' worry Shy, your in good hooves now. Now ah' want ya' ta' stay here with Rares here until we find this varmit ya' here?" Fluttershy sighed in defeat and nodded, knowing that when it came to Applejack's stubbornness, it would be like talking to a brick wall. "Alright girls here's the plan," said Twilight , "Applejack you search the kitchen, Rainbow you got outside we don't want him trying to escape, Pinkie and I will check up stairs, Rarity, take Fluttershy back to your place and make sure she is safe. We'll meet back there once we handled the dragon." The six gave an affirmative nod and went their separate ways to find the drake, hiding in Fluttershy's house. Applejack walked in the kitchen and was shocked to see the crusaders in the middle of the floor with huge grins on their faces. Judging from past experiences, she knew they were up to something. "Applebloom! Ah' told ya'll ta' stay at the house!" Applejack scolded. "But we wanted to help and..uhh-" "Get our cutie marks in dragon catching!" quickly said Sweetie belle saving Applebloom. James sat in the cabinet watching the whole conversation take place. He figured the orange mare, known as Applejack, tell the crusaders to go back to the to a farm. 'Must be where she lives' thought James as he immediately went stiff as he saw Applejack walking his way. He covered his mouth with a claw too make sure his breathing wasn't too loud. Sweat now pouring dow his face he watched through the crack of the cabinet as Applejack was now opening and shutting each one. James' heart sped up as she got closer and closer, Everything went still as he saw her shadow consume the light in the cabinet. "Crap, it's all or nothing." James said to himself bursting out the cabinets, knocking over Applejack in the process and running towards the set of stairs that led up to the second floor. "Twilight! Pinkie! The little varmit is coming your way!" called out Applejack as she got to her hooves and ran up stairs following the purple drake. I reached the top of the stairs and entered the hallway, only to run in the bathroom, hearing to more voices getting closer. I quickly shut off the lights and fly up to the ceiling and clinging my sharp claws in to it. I watched the door get surrounded by a purple aura and slowly open, to see two more of Fluttershy's friends walk in. One was a purple pony with a horn and wings, which I assumed was Twilight Sparkle and a pink pony, with a cotton candy like mane and tail, which I assumed was Pinkie Pie. "Come out, come out wherever you are!" yelled Pinkie. "Please, come out we just want to talk to you and ask a few questions." called out Twilight,Yeah, like I'm falling for that trick I think to myself. Getting ready to make my move, Twilight flipped on the light switch, they both looked up and saw me on the ceiling of the bathroom. Before they could react I shot a small ball of fire at their hooves making them jump in surprise, before dashing out the door closing it and locking it from the outside. Why Fluttershy has a door that locks from the outside I have no idea. "Wait if she has a horn does that mean-" I was quickly blinded by a purple flash as the pony known as Twilight appeared in front of me.'Damn it! I forgot the ones with the horns can do that!' letting my instincts take over I lowered my body to the ground and showed my teeth starting to growl, intimidating her to back off. Until I felt a rope wrap around my neck. With a strong yank I was pulled of my feet and hitting the floor back first. Getting back to my feet I saw twilight unlocking the bathroom door for Pinkie, while I saw Applejack holding a rope in her teeth yanking me towards her like a dog on a leash. "Now are ya' gonna come with us nicely or do we have ta' drag ya' back?" asked Applejack struggling to pull me close to her but thanks to my increased strength she was having more trouble than she thought. Until I started to rise up in the air. I looked to see Twilight with her horn glowing suspending me in the air with a purple aura. "Please, just come with us we promise we won't hurt you." she said with pleading eyes. You know if I didn't have a rope around my neck like an animal and being held against my will I might have believed her. How did I get into this mess anyways? A window then caught my eye, If only if I could get out of this grip, I think to myself, yeah there is probably another one of them waiting for me but I have a better chance fleeing to the skies than trying to hide in the house again. Concentrating I channeled the magic in my body to my horns causing them to engulf in flames. The three ponies surrounding looked in shock as I took the opportunity to use the magical embers on my horns to break the magical aura and using my teeth to bite off the rope that was around my neck. I quickly made a mad dash for the window and stopped and turned back to see twilight, Pinkie, and Applejack still looking at me in shock. "Sorry!" I scream out before jumping out the window and taking towards the forest hoping to lose my pursuers. My victory was then cut short when a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane blocked my way to the entrance of the forest, which from what Fluttershy told me was Rainbow Dash. "You have got to be kidding me!" I yelled before doing a quick u-turn in the air and zooming back to where I came. I looked back to see Rainbow Dash gaining speed on me. 'Fluttershy wasn't kidding when she said she was fast' I thought as I spotted the town, known as Ponyville up ahead. A bolt of magenta flew past me snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned my head around to see Twilight flying beside Rainbow Dash, firing magical blasts from her horn. "This bitch, is trying to kill me!" I yell as I dodged another bolt of magic. "Please, just stop I don't want to hurt you!" I heard Twilight scream from behind me. "Says the one firing death rays at me!" I snap back, deciding to fly over the town trying to lose the two winged mares, until something catches my eye. There was Fluttershy walking with a white unicorn with a stylish purple mane I suspected as Rarity, since that's the only one I haven't encountered on this goose chase so far. I pick up the speed trying to catch up to the yellow pegasus, but Rainbow Dash, noticing me getting closer to Fluttershy, had other plans and tackled me at the last second causing us to crash on the dirt ground of the town rolling like ragdolls causing ponies to move out the way. She pins me to the ground and rears back her hoof to give me a jab to the snout but thanks to my reflexes I push her off in one swift motion so can get up to all fours in a defensive stance against the rainbow pegasus. "You're gonna pay for what you done!" yelled Rainbow Dash giving me a death glare. "What did I do?!" I asked in confusion. "Don't play stupid with me!" she yelled stepping closer to me, "you'll never hurt Fluttershy again!" "What are you talking about? Fluttershy has been taking care of me for the past week!" "Don't lie to me! Fluttershy would've told us if she was doing something that crazy, especially if it's a dragon." Without warning Rainbow Dash slams into me making me fall on my side, I quickly recovered and charged her igniting my horns in flames which she easily dodged by flying in the air. Rainbow then, with the speed of a bullet rammed into my side again causing me to yell out in pain and skid across the dirt. I get up and let out a ball of fire which Rainbow dodged, I let out a couple more one at a time but getting the same result with me missing her everytime. "You really think you can hit me?" Rainbow boasted. She was right I can't hit her with just my fire blast....unless. I chuckled as I took a deep breath ready to unleash another ball of fire. "Your really trying that again? I guess you're more stupider than you look!" she yells as I gave her a sly grin. She cocked her head in confusion at my response but soon her expression turned to fear as I launched not one but three blasts of fire at her at the same time. She managed to dodge two of them but the third one exploded right next her knocking her out of the sky and crashing to the ground. As she slowly got to my hooves I stuck out my tongue in response causing her to enter a blind rage and charge me. Thanks to her not paying attention I simply side stepped her next attack and tripping her with my tail, making her fall face first into the ground. I mentally chuckled but only to get a buck to the nose in return. Now getting angry I launched another ball of fire at her hooves making her fly back into a cart full of apples. Before I could celebrate my victory though, I got hit in the side by something hot as I flew and collided to the side of a nearby building. Dazed from the hit I turn my head to see the attacker, only to be met with Twilight once again. "Listen here mister, I am just going to say this once..NOPONY hurts my friends!" she says with a hint of venom in her eyes. I gulp in fear and got back to my feet, Twilight then charges up her horn causing a wave of purple sparkles and light to gush around her. She then unleashes a powerful blast of pink magic at me. I close my eyes waiting for the worst but nothing came, I cracked an eye open to see in surprise a fiery shield surrounding me. Twilight mouth was agape and so was mine honestly, mentally thanking God for this I let out a sigh of relief and the flaming shield dissipated. I then notice Applejack just arriving and out of breath, probably from running from Fluttershy's house to here, went up to Twilight's side and Rainbow Dash, who recovered, joining them as the three of them started to advance on me. 'Shit! I'm really in for it now!' I thought as I noticed the crowd of growing ponies observe my struggle with the three ponies, at that moment I knew I messed up.....until something or somepony caught my eye…...there was Fluttershy(along with her friend Rarity) with a look of fear and sadness in her eyes. We locked eye contact for a second before I broke it and let out a sad sigh,'I'm sorry, Fluttershy.' I thought solemnly as I gave a serious expression to the tree ponies in front of me. Standing my ground showing no signs of weakness as the three ponies advanced on my position I let out a mighty roar causing them to cover their ears. I then concentrated all the energy in my body and transferred it to my maw, which was now glowing a bright yellow and orange. Twilight quickly casted a shield over her, Rainbow, and Applejack as I let out a ball of fire about the size of a small house. It impacted the shield causing a small explosion to engulf the three ponies. The crowd of ponies gasped in horror and shock at my new technique that I just learned. As the smoke cleared I noticed that Twilight still had her shield(which now had cracks all over it) intact, and successfully blocked the attack, but I could tell she couldn't hold out much longer. She was sweating and her eyes looked like they might close any second now. Applejack and Rainbow glared at me while I glared back waiting on who will make the next move.......until I noticed something important. 'Wait? Weren't there four of them chasing me?' I thought before I felt a tap on my shoulder by a pink hoof and being hit in the face by rusty frying pan and collapsing to the ground. The last thing I heard was the sound of cheering ponies and Fluttershy calling out my name before darkness consumed me.