//------------------------------// // Newfound Determination // Story: Strangely Resilient Ember // by DeliriousCrimson //------------------------------// If there was a way to describe this atmosphere, it would definitely be the utter, most pure and vibrant form of gloom. These alicorns seemed so miserable that it even may have rubbed off on Desim, for he hasn't taunted me a single time in the past hour, surprisingly enough. After Twilight left, they assumed their positions on their thrones, with Cadence simply taking a seat on the floor next to them. And the veil of negative energy that seemed to shroud them making it increasingly difficult to approach them, much less even attempt to brighten up the mood. And so, for that reason I found myself sitting in the sidelines of the spacey enclosure about four or five meters away from them. Arms crossed, knees wobbly, and a slowly forming pool of sweat comically surrounding me. The situation was way too much to take in no matter how many times I thought about it, and quite frankly, I was afraid. Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of this unspecified creature with powers that were apparently godly in nature, as well as his weird and utterly unpredictable deity sidekick, so to speak. And while I wouldnt say that I didnt feel shame in admitting this, I also wouldn't say that my little fit of the scares wasn't justified. For one thing, I hadn't been this shaken since the time my father first took me out to hunt bat coyotes.. That could not possibly be a good sign right? But more importantly, it haunted me the most how lifeless the lack of magic could make a pony look. Its as if there was little to no spirit, or even an ounce of motivation remaining. I inched my eyes in their direction once more, the evident lack of vitality in their eyes tempting me to retract my gaze. Their big eyes just didn't look right like that, with such dead and spiritless appearances to them. Despite my temptations, I kept my sight locked on them to the point where you could say I was staring.. no rudeness intended of course. But I guess staring really was a detectable thing, since Celestia seemed to rapidly make eye contact with me. I flinched a bit at her sudden establishment of eye contact, but did not refrain from looking further into her defeated eyes. My clumsy actions also seemed to humor her for a small smile spread across her face. I returned it and saw this as a chance to brighten up the mood with a cheesy joke. However, my attempt was postponed as Celestia's voice proved to be faster. "You are not obligated to stay," she began, her voice filling the void of silence that was her throne room, all the while incurring glances from Luna and Cadence at her side. "It is only a matter of time before Tirek and Discord arrive, and while you certainly are a capable warrior, I fear that even you would meet defeat at their hands," she finished. This only served to harden the muscles on my face. As a Firebender, I do hate being underestimated, but as a human being with a heart, I hate it even more that she'd suggest I save myself and leave them to perish. "You know very well that I can't do that princess," I plainly stated, my response looking to have troubled the three if their now curled upper lips were any way to judge. "Kurama please, we commend you on your bravery, but even if you are of foreign origins, me and Luna have quickly learned to view you as a precious subject. We beg of you, do not make us relive the horrors of losing a valuable friend," hoarsedly pleaded the white alicorn. Her concerns weren't lost on me in the least, but I was still slightly pestered by her stubbornness. Unluckily for her, the very moment I was bent on guarding them, my own unyielding stubbornness was carved in stone. A stubbornness that I recall my teachers refer to as 'strong enough to rival that of any sun.' "I repeat. Im not going to leave you guys behind." I sternly claimed in a manner that helped get across my resolve. And so, me and Celestia shared an intense bout of us eyeing at each other competitively, her face taking on a fustrated expression. It was a shocking sight to see her unable to keep a straight face, but I concluded that it was her lack of magic that weakened her will to do so. It also seemed to make a pony very prone to irritation as well, for Celestia shouldn't be the type to lose to just a lack of will alone, her being a ruler for thousands of years and all. "Kurama. You are making this much harder than it needs to be, I am sorry that we got you involved, but leave us. It is for the best that you go assist Twilight and the elements instead." She explained impatiently. I half contemplated doing as she said, but one look at her and her companions was enough to quickly brush the thought aside. I didn't want it to come to this, but I was going to have to be much more assertive if I wanted to convince an immortal ruler. "How many times do you intend to make me say it? NO!" I barked in a tone that made it seem like I was slightly challenging her authority. But I didn't have time to worry about that now, I should have already learned time and time again that indecisiveness is the first step to screwing up in crucial situations. I made my decision and by all means, It was imperative for their well being that I grew a backbone and stuck to it. However, my conviction was obviously lost on Celestia as she took to a cold expression and silently glared at me, observing... coldly analyzing the man in front of her who even went as far as to return her glare. She frowned slightly and began to raise her hind quarters up off her throne. "Leave at once! This is an order!" She harshly commanded, the sudden raise in her voice startling the two alicorns aside her. Said alicorns also beginning to observe us as we argued on. I was beginning to get a bit riled up at this point. No matter how cool headed I intended to be sometimes, the truth of the matter was that like most Firebenders, I was a hopeless pile of unstable anger with enough stimuli. The only difference was that I was raised to control myself a bit more than others.. I think. "And why should I take orders from you? You mentioned that I was your subject, but when exactly did I let myself be looked down upon by you, huh!?" I rudely commented. My remark making Luna and Cadence gasp in astonishment, a look of unexpectancy also inhabiting Celestia's face for a few seconds. "Hold caution to the way you speak to me," she sharply commented, "Have you already forgotten who it was that granted you the privilege of staying in MY castle?" She asked in a challenging manner. I glared daggers into her eyes and she glared arrows into mine. I slightly clenched my fist at her challenge, a drop of sweat running down my cheek in response to the very problematic situation at hand. However, I wasn't going to back down and give her what she wanted, afterall, I wasn't a pony, and she was NOT my superior. But don't get me wrong, my gratitude for the shelter and food they provide me is enormous, but thats exactly why I can't just-.. leave. I don't care what sort of enemy i'll face and I certainly do not intend to lose, but if she thinks i'll leave them to their impending doom simply because she wanted to be all motherly and sweet, she had another blasted thing coming. Even if I had to rudely self establish myself as her equal, I needed to make sure I got my way this time! Humorous. I ignored the voice and continued with the battle of glares, my decision already clear in my subconscious. "It seems so," I coldly stated while squinting my eyes in acceptance to her challenge. Celestia's eye twitched before a very noticeable frown formed on her muzzle, my eyes widening at the rare sight which was a furious Celestia. Her eyes glowed a dim and lifeless white as she spread her wings and raised one of her forelegs. "BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT, OR ELSE!!" She boomed in a voice that resembled the very crackle of thunder itself. The castle shook under the might of her explosive speaking ability. The volume tempting me to flinch, but my pride not allowing me to even stumble as the castle shook on. Amidst the chaos, I did manage to think up a way to ensure this didn't break out into a full fledge battle. However.. I felt my heart slightly sink as I realized exactly how problematic the situation was going to keep getting.. for me atleast. When the building ceased its tremors, an eerie silence encompassed the riled up throne room. Celestia continued to gaze in my direction with cold and merciless eyes while I managed to keep staring right back. Another drop of sweat ran down my back as I readied myself for the ultimate act of disrespect that was about to take place. My palm burst into a loud crackle of flames as I made sure to give off a pungent killing intent in the direction of the three princesses. "Are you gonna come down here and make me?" I bluntly threatened. The three alicorns soon gawking in disbelief to what I had just done, even Celestia transitioning momentarily from anger to the morbid realization of a possible enemy right here in front of her. It hurt my chest to see myself become an enemy in her eyes so quickly. However, It was to my advantage, as an enemy she had no choice but to take me seriously and comply with my demands. "I trust you're wise enough to understand. You can barely defeat a fly right now Celestia! You are in no position to be talking back to me!!" I angrily shouted while pointing a flaming finger in her direction. She quietly responded with a neutral expression, a sigh then escaping her mouth. Cadence also starting to defiantly glare at the new threat in front of her while Luna was still stuck in a state of shock. "It seems I have misjudged you Kurama," she regrettably stated. "I should have known that it was foolish of me to put my trust in you, just like I did with Discord.. I truly must be loosing my ability to judge character." Taunted the white alicorn. "Be quiet. You brought this upon yourself." I responded coldly. "I was indeed wrong about you. I have failed to recount the many times a villain has told me those exact set of words." She continued to verbally attack. She was truly someone who knew how to use her words to her advantage. My heart was ready to burst as regret was already beginning to pinch the back of my mind. But I couldn't allow myself to lose to regret this time around. Its not like I could just say sorry, waltz out of the room towards Twilight, and make it like nothing happened. There was no longer any turning back whether I regretted it or not. "Whatever. Sit down unless you want to find out how magic-less alicorn meat smells like when cooked to medium rare." I warned with a killing intent strong enough to tranquilize a rat. Celestia and Cadence quietly complied and stayed on high alert while Luna gave me the most heart crushing look that may have ever been directed to me. "Kurama.. you-," she began but was stopped by my extended palm. "Save it. Im sure you can comprehend the situation for yourself.. Luna," I struggled to mutter out. As a result of this, a truly hurt expression formed on Luna's muzzle, soon followed by one of unconstrained anger. "Do you mean to say that our friendship was for naught too!? That our promise was a lie!?" She lashed out, her questions seeming like they pierced straight through my heart. My chest ached with the temptation to end this maddening façade, but I managed to persevere. I simply closed my eyes and turned my head to the side to let her know I had no intention of discussing the matter with her. As a result, she herself also remained quiet, visibly boiling inside with hardened and moist eyes. I kept my gaze on them and reclaimed my seat, my guard and sight locked on the sole objective of keeping these three as my prisoners. Silence also filling the throne room once again, the thick gloom replaced with a threatening intent to kill. I couldn't believe how fast this had unfolded.. a solid three minutes ago they were my friends. But now. Now they were my hostages, a simple bunch of prisoners that were at the mercy of my hungry flames. If the elder man from my sixteenth birthday could see me now, he would definitely shake his head in disappointment to the dirty scheme I was chose to rely on. This must have been the result of the evil blood flowing through my veins. The blood of a Firebender, one who can't do anything but forcibly try and bend others to his will.. dammit, dammit, dammit! This wasn't the sort of warrior I intended to be! I shouldn't have cracked under pressure like this! Luna.. i'm so sorry.. But sadly, there was no use beating myself up over it now, whats done is done. Now I just need to protect these bunch, only then will I allow myself to go into detail over how I'll find a new roof to sleep in. That'll be fun. But for now.. I gotta wait. ( Third person) An unknown forest rattles with the rapid steps of an unknown shadow that runs at speeds rivaling the wind itself. The shadow darts forward without any consideration to the trees that are sliced out of its path. But there is no such luxury of consideration for the shadow. It must hurry, for its purpose has ironically begun to be its undoing and harbinger of disaster. The wicked shadow had given many valuable things for its purpose, one of those valuable things being its ability to interpret the visual brilliance of the world. Yes, the shadow had even given its sight in exchange for swords. And now, the swords have rebelled against the shadow that runs. The shadow that runs to preserve its ideals and reason to bow to existence. Run shadow. Run. A loud whack echoes through the unknown forest, its decree of silence being disrupted by the merciless melody of hardened flesh as it flails on the soft forest soil. Get up shadow. Get up. You must run. Pitter-patter goes the resumed stride of the bolting shadow. Its purpose must be rethinked. Its destination must be recalculated. It is tired of running. Its legs can no longer endure. Its sword can no longer cut. Its eyesockets feel null and void. The shadow must endure. The shadow must run. A heavenly force pursues the shadow. A force that had once stripped the shadow of everything. But now, it follows indiscriminately, with the intent to take it all from the shadow again. Another whack booms throughout the dead forest. The trees begin to retreat as the shadow advances forward. They cry for mercy and run as fast as their poor wooden roots allow them. The thick pungent scent of blood heavily ecompasses the air. The blood of the trees. The shadow must be relentless. It must continue to run. It must continue to trample over the corpses of trees it had undone. Its purpose must be rethinked, its destination must be recalculated. The heavenly force draws near, the soil is marinated in the crimon sap of the trees. A deep crack in the veil of nature grows wider, wider, wider. The shielded illusion of peace has been shattered. War has once again shown its ugly bowels to be writhing with the hunger. The maddening hunger of drunken bloodspill. A final whack echoes throughout the overgrown forest of scattered flesh. The shadow has to bear the brunt of the sounds, an unending conveyance of maddening pain being distributed to both its ear drumbs. Yet the shadow must hurry. It must advance forward, through the trees, until it has finally emerged from the hellish forest. Run shadow. Run.