Future Progressive: The Speedfics and Drabbles of Present Perfect

by PresentPerfect

Friendly Fire

Friendly Fire
by Present Perfect

"It's not my imagination," Twilight said, pausing on the toppled chunk of wall to look behind herself. Around them, the sand-colored ruins of the ancient city lay in chaotic repose. Walls half-buried in the desert leaned against each other, mockeries of the grand buildings they had once belonged to. Phalanxes of windows arched in every direct. A clocktower near the center of the ruin, silent for over a thousand years, was the sole structure that remained vertical.

"Something's definitely burning."

Beside Twilight, Fluttershy shivered audibly. "You don't think it could be a... dragon. Do you?"

Twilight shook her head slowly. There had been monsters lurking in the ruins, yes. Or at least, there had been rumors of monsters lurking in the ruins, along with enough misshapen shadows beneath the unstable lean-tos of ruined walls to give them credence.

"I'm not sure." Twilight's scan for telltale smoke revealed nothing. In the distance, a blue and rainbow blur flitted from behind one crumbled facade to search another. "I mean, I don't know if any live out here. We should still be careful."

Fluttershy all but clung to her as they crept along the wall's boundary, looking for a safe path down. The lost relic wasn't going to find itself, but vantage point after vantage point had led them no closer to locating it in among ruins that seemed to repeat themselves ad infinitum.

With a grunt, Twilight remembered her wings and floated down to a patch of loose stones that shifted under her hooves. A second later and Fluttershy landed beside her, scattering more of the stones into the sands below.

"I hate to complain," she said, "but I'm starting to feel just a little tired."

Twilight grimaced but nodded. "We could probably stand to take a short break." She turned to the shaded shelter of the wall they had been on.

She came face-to-face with a wall of flames.

"Grrunggh!" it burbled, like a happy newborn foal.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight screeched, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. "Run!"

A lifetime of timidity had blessed Fluttershy with excellent reflexes, and she dashed off over the sands in a heartbeat, taking wing a few seconds later as the sand slowed her down. Twilight was right behind her, breathing heavily.

The flames resolved themselves into the shape of a small troglodyte, and it pursued them, no less speedy, its arms stretched upward.

"What is it?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"It's a friendly fire!" Twilight's teeth began to chatter. "I've only ever read about them once, but they're relentless, tireless predators. Once you've caught its attention, it'll wear you down before smothering you in fire!"

"Oh dear." Fluttershy nibbled at the tip of her hoof. "Is there anything we can..."

She shrieked as a jet of fire shot up between them.

"Fly!" Twilight cried, and the flames followed behind them, making clumsy swipes every few seconds. She chanced a look back, to see the fire monster had extended its arms all the way up to their level. A series of cooler patches of flame on its front gave it the look of an excited smile.

"It's not--" Fluttershy squeaked and ducked around another firey grab. "It's not very friendly, Twilight! Why even call it that?"

Twilight gritted her teeth. "It's literally trying to make friends with us. Imagine if Pinkie Pie didn't know she could kill you with a hug."

"That makes a terrifying amount of sense."

Twilight dove behind a wall leaning toward the way they had come, Fluttershy following her lead. There were a few too many windows and cracks in it for them to feel anything like comfortable, though.

"What do we do?" Fluttershy whispered, peering around the wall before ducking quickly back. "If what you said is true, it's never going to stop following us. And... I feel kind of sorry for it."

"I supposed I shouldn't be surprised." Twilight frowned. "But, really?"

"Oh, yes." Fluttershy nodded, her lower lip jutting out. "Just think of what it would be like if nopony wanted to be your friend and you couldn't figure out why!"

She scooted closer to Twilight, gripping Twilight's forearm tightly between her hooves.

"It's a friendship problem, Twilight! You should try and help that poor, friendless fire monster!"

The scent of burning reached their nostrils again. Twilight didn't exactly know what fresh, molten glass smelled like, but she was pretty sure this was it.

"You're right," she said. "It sounds ridiculous, but... I'm the Princess of Friendship!" She stood, her wings unfurling. "I have to try!"

She chanced a peek around the wall. The friendly fire seemed to have lost sight of them and was scanning the area, one misshapen hand over its 'eyes'. Twilight swallowed and lit her horn.

"Okay, fireproofing spell." She began to glow a subtle white. "Here goes nothing."

With small steps, she rounded the corner and put on the biggest, least nongenuine smile she could muster.

"Hi there, friend!" she said loudly.

The friendly fire turned, or rather, its features moved position on its body to face her. With a loud, excited gurgle, it charged toward Twilight, arms outstretched. Even through the spell, she could feel the heat increasing as it approached, and it took all her willpower not to cringe back.

Finally, it latched onto her, wrapping both arms around her in what Twilight had to admit was the warmest hug she had ever received. The fire burbled and cooed, its 'eyes' closed and 'mouth' stretched all the way across its body.

"There," Twilight said, patting it carefully. "Don't you look happy?"

Somewhere behind her, Fluttershy gave a soft "Aww".

Twilight had to admit, making this thing feel happy actually made her happy in turn. It shouldn't have been any surprise, really. After all, that's what friendship was all about!

Then she noticed it was getting rather warm.

"Um..." Fluttershy backed up a few paces. "Twilight, I think it's getting a little too happy..."

The friendly fire's flames had quickly shot up above the level of the ruined wall, burning hotter by the second. With a shout, Twilight began pouring more magic into her spell, sweat pouring down her brow. Try as she might, the friendly fire outpaced her.

"Stop it!" Fluttershy shouted. "You're hurting her!"

"Fluttershy!" Twilight cried, trying to wrench out of the friendly fire's surprisingly solid grasp. "Do something!"

Fluttershy surged forward, but before she was even two pony-lengths away, she had to turn back.

"I can't!" she cried, tears in her eyes. "It's too hot, Twilight!"

Twilight gritted her teeth, a second magical overlay working onto her horn. "That's enough," she grunted. "It's time to learn about... personal space!"

With a scream of pain and exertion, she completed the second spell, teleporting back behind the wall. Smoke curled from her mane and feathers.

"Twilight, you're burned!" Fluttershy rushed to her side, but Twilight waved her back.

"Ouch!" she shouted. "That really hurt!"

She rolled out from behind the wall -- she might have been purposefully adding melodrama to the performance, but they were real burns, and they really did hurt -- to where she could see the friendly fire. Her teleport seemed to have confused it, but once it saw her again, it surged toward her.

"Stop!" she cried, and the friendly fire did, again seeming confused. "Look at what you did!"

She didn't stop Fluttershy this time as she pulled gauze and ointments from her saddlebags and started treating the burns on her legs. The friendly fire's face cocked to one side on its front.

"You're very hot," she said, enunciating clearly, "and you burned me! That isn't nice!"

The friendly fire shrank back.

"I know you like giving hugs, and that's a nice thing to do, but you have to understand when enough is enough!"

The friendly fire's smile turned into a pout.

"Um, Twilight, don't you think you're being just a little harsh--"

"You hurt me!" Twilight continued, heedless. "And now I don't want to hug you anymore!"

There was a wail from the friendly fire, and soon, giant tears were pouring from its eyes. Both ponies stared in confusion and horror as the fire monster cried. The tears initially evaporated as soon as they touched it, but as they continued, the friendly fire slowly began to shrank, its fires glowing dimmer.

"Um," said Twilight, giving Fluttershy a panicked look, "now, there, there. I didn't mean I don't want to be your friend. Please don't cry!"

Her words had no effect. The friendly fire cried and cried until its sobbing was masked by the hiss of water turning to steam. A huge cloud built up around the creature, and when the desert winds at last blew it away, all that was left was a softly glowing pile of embers and slag.

Twilight and Fluttershy shared shocked, tearful looks.

"Um," observed Fluttershy.

"What," agreed Twilight.

As Fluttershy finished bandaging Twilight's injuries, neither spoke a word. One or the other would occasionally glance at the pile of slag, only to look quickly away.

At last, Fluttershy finished, and Twilight stood, testing her legs. She turned to Fluttershy with a grim expression.

"We never tell anypony about this."

Fluttershy nodded without hesitation. "We never speak of this again. Ever."

And they never did.

Author's Note:

A few days ago, I noticed a story called Friendly Fire on the front page. My mind immediately went to work, pulling up a concept I'd been saving for an SCP, and we get this little thing. I have no idea what that other story's about, by the way, I just used the title. :B

Comments

[QueenMoriarty]

...

That was odd.

[FanOfMostEverything]

This makes a disturbing amount of sense, given Equestria's pun-based elemental ecology.

[PresentPerfect]

7596693
...

Thanks.

[Whiteout]

Seems like a job for Spike. He's remarkably fireproof!

[Admiral Biscuit]

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