//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Becoming Bright // Story: Above the Fire Sky // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// The next morning it was time to leave, the summer sun shined above the group of four as they got on their train. The newly added bag of books sat under their seat opened with Twilight already started on her reading. Kai sat against the window staring out into the sky. A black and blue bow was wrapped around his neck, the crescent moon emblazoned on it. “It’s so wonderful you and Luna got to know each other.” Rarity said as she looked deeply into the bow. ‘She’s really nice!’ He turned to face her. ‘I hope we return someday soon.’ “I’m sure we will.” She said with a smile, petting underneath his chin. The train started to take off for Ponyville. “You should bring back a bow for her as a thank you gift!” Twilight added, flipping a page of her book, one of the many from the archives. Spike sat in between the two ponies, reading a comic. ‘A gift in return? What would bow should I bring?’ He asked curiously. The idea of exchanging gifts really meant nothing to him previously, as there was so little in space to give to one another. Kai thought long and hard of what type of bow he could give. ‘I’ve never given a gift before.’ Rarity looked at him with a puzzled face and furrowed brow. “Really? Never?” He shook his head as he looked at her. ‘Not much to give, not much to take.’ “Aww.” She placed her hoof on his head and started to pet him. “How sad.” Twilight lifted her face out of her book. “Why don’t you design a bow for him to give, Rarity?” A gasp followed up with a child-like scream came from the purple haired pony. She flipped her body around, accidently knocking Spike off the bench and smacking Kai in the face with her tail. The commotion caused Twilight to look up at Rarity just in time to have her face grabbed. Rarity pushed her face onto Twilights and yelled, “You’re an ABSOLUTE GENIUS, Twilight!” A purple claw grabbed onto the bench. Spike pulled himself up back into the seat, still holding his comic. “Next time, some warning?” She then turned abruptly turned once again, hitting Spike off onto the floor once more. “Be caref-“ Twilight was cut off by a smack of Rarity’s tail. “Darling, I am going to design you a bow with your logo!” Her eyes shined like a thousand stars as she stared into his. Kai raised his eyebrow, unsure of what his logo exactly was. ‘The Firefox logo? We don’t have one. I’m not even sure what a logo is?’ “Oh, but you WILL!” Her smile expanded from ear to ear. “YOU WILL!” The train ride to Ponyville felt much longer this time to Kai. Perhaps it was the fact that they were so close to being able to find his kind, or perhaps he was just eager to find a specific family member of his. Once they arrived back in Ponyville, Twilight quickly arranged herself in the map room. She had read over most of the books on the train ride and had a basic understanding for what the spell needed. Rarity and Kai gathered the others, as once they found the locations of the Firefoxes they would all be heading off. Well, that’s what they had planned originally. “Gosh darn map! Why’s it gotta send us away right as we were gonna help Kai here? Ain’t he part of the friendship circle?” Applejack pleaded, her cutie mark shaking furiously with the call of the map. She stomped her foot in anger, upset that she’d have to miss the beginning of the quest for the Firefoxes. “Oh, don’t worry Applejack! You and I will have lots of fun in Appleloosa!” Pinkie exclaimed, trying to cheer her up. Rainbow Dash laughed. “Sure you’ll miss the beginning, but do you really think we’re going to be able to find all the Firefoxes before you return? I’m sure you’ll be able to help us find maybe the last one at most!” “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up Rainbow Dash.” Applejack said unamused. Rarity leaned into Fluttershy. “I’m just glad it’s not us!” Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Applejack let out a snarl as she lowered her hat, covering her face. Twilight was just finishing preparations as she placed down one of her books neatly on a stack. She walked over to the table. “Even if you won’t be here for the first, you can at least check out where there might be some. Who knows, perhaps we’ll be going in the same area as you two.” “I know, it’s just unfair. This whole things rotten to the core.” She stomped her foot in anger again. ‘I under how why you are upset Applejack, but thank you. Knowing that you truly would rather help me than your own duties, well, you’re a really good friend.’ Kai communicated as he floated up and wrapped his paws around her. Applejack smiled and placed one hoof around him. “Aw, shucks partner. You make sure to tell the ones you do find about Pinkie and me, alright?” Kai nodded as he pulled away from the hug, a big smile on his face. “Alright everypony, I’m going to give this a test. Kai, if you would, stand on the table.” He floated up onto the middle of the table, the map appearing around him. The mane six and Spike all gathered in their chairs. Twilight began to cast her magic as a purple aura surrounded Kai and the table. The horn grew bright as she cast the spell, a light shined from Kai, causing the other ponies to cover their eyes from the blinding light. The light spread out across the map like a shockwave from an explosion. Little red dots started to flicker in different parts of the world, some were together while some were only in the same area. Kai’s light slowly dimmed as the spell finished, the ponies were able to get their first glimpse at the markers. “Did it work?” Rainbow Dash asked as she rubbed her eyes. Floating up above the table, Kai looked down and examined each of the red dots. The ponies looked over the map at the different areas of the world, studying where they were. Kai was more interested in how many. “Plfrry!” He exclaimed. “Plfrry! Plfrry!” He continuously shouted in his language as he landed on the table. The ponies looked at each other and then back to Kai. Spike was the first to ask, “What the heck’s he saying?” ‘Twenty-three! There’s twenty-three dots!’ He communicated as he panted and jumped around. “Is that a good thing?” Fluttershy asked. Kai finally stopped his bouncing only to have his tail continuously be wagging. ‘Twenty-three is the exact amount of my brethren including myself and my brother!’ He began hopping up and down again. Every time he hopped into the air he would telepathically say ‘Twenty!’ and every time he landed he would say ‘three!’ This continued even more as Spike and Pinkie joined in the chanting. “Okay, enough! Now that we got it working, let’s find out where the closest ones are!” Twilight shouted, breaking the chanting. She pointed to the location on the map that resembled Ponyville. “There is one in our town right now that should be Kai, of course.” “Two near Cloudsdale! Awesome!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she pointed. Applejack looked near the town of Appleloosa. “Well, there appears to be NONE in good ol’ Appleloosa.” She said as she slouched over, burying her face into the table. Rarity gently tapped Applejack’s shoulder. “I’m sorry darling. It does look like there’s three in the Badlands. Perhaps after you and Pinkie finish up in Appleloosa, you could head over to Dodge City? Then we could all meet up and head out there together.” “What a great idea Rarity! It looks like there are three right now in the Everfree Forest! We could go out and find them, then once we hear from you guys we can head to Dodge City ourselves.” A solid plan from Twilight as she marked the locations on a separate paper map. ‘That is a wonderful idea! That way you won’t miss out on much, Applejack!’ Kai skipped over to Applejack and licked her cheek. She laughed and sat up from her slouching, tilting her hat back at the same time. “Alright, alright. As long as you don’t go and find any others without me and Pinkie.” “I can’t believe I’m the only one to notice this, but, if there is exactly twenty-three foxes in total, doesn’t that mean Myar is with one of the groups?” Spike said, an observation overlooked by all the others. Twilight’s face shook with shock as she counted the dots. “He’s right!” She said. ‘I hope that’s a good thing. None of my brethren would probably listen to him, but at least they will keep him safe. I doubt any of them know that he was the one to destroy our home.’ Waltzing over to Ponyville, Kai sat down and looked around the map. “It-It’ll be o-okay! That just means if we reunite all of your people, then, maybe, we’ll find your brother too!” Fluttershy said, trying not to let Kai beat himself up. “And if we don’t, then he’ll still be somewhere on the map and we can track him down anyway!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed at the top of her lungs, throwing confetti into the air. Twilight got up from her chair and rolled the paper map up. “Kai, we’re going to help you find your kind. All of them. You can count on us!”