Azure Flame

by Silver Page

Tears

“Do you desire to end the tears?” Azure Flame blinked at the words assaulting his ears. No longer in the park in Canterlot, or the golden flames of the ancient, magical portal, the Unicorn was in a room that was very familiar to him.

The family memorial mausoleum, with his parent’s portraits hanging upon the cold, marble walls. But there were changes to it. Now, the pictures showed two different ponies instead of his mother and father, a young, smiling Unicorn filly, and a alabaster Unicorn mare with elegant purple hair. Both a calm, beatific smiles on their muzzles, and were gazing down from their pictures with a kind and caring expression. That was odd. Who were these strangers, and why were they replacing his parents in the paintings?

“What is this?” Azure asked, looking around. “What’s going on?”

“You passed the first trial of Salt, the Trial of Sweat. Working for the benefit of others, and asking no compensation for it. Willing to struggle for the safety of another, even when they were not in immediate danger. For this, you have been deemed worthy to advance to the second trial.” The words boomed around the small crypt, deep and resonant with an odd metallic quality. Azure frowned, confused.

“What was I doing? I… I remember stepping into the Flames of Eternity, but I also remember a life not my own… where Blueblood was separate from me…”

“To judge you, young mortal, your mind was altered to fit the trial. Unknowing of the real past, given a fabricated life, one that you desired based on your own dreams and wishes. Now, however, most of your memories are returned for the second trial.”

“Look at the portraits. You recognize that they are different than what would normally be upon them, that is, your parents. These two were very close to you. But because of you, they have suffered greatly.” Azure cast his eyes down in shame at that revelation. How could he have ever willingly hurt a cute filly or a gorgeous mare?

“What must I do to pass this trial?” Azure asked, looking up at the ceiling. In response, a black and golden door appeared in the wall opposite him.

“This door will lead you to face the two whom you have deeply hurt. Confront them as part of your second trial,” the voice commanded, fading into a distant echo.

Azure gulped down his fear, and hesitantly stepped up to the barred door, looking nervously at the imposing portal. He swallowed a lump of fear before placing his front hooves on the door and pushing. Noiselessly the door creaked open, and the Unicorn stepped through the opening, wincing as it slammed shut behind him. Looking around, he found himself in a new room, though it was also familiar to him. It was his room, the four poster bed as prim and clean as it always was after the maids were done with its cleaning, and the dresser and desk in the same spot as always.

“How dare you show your face to us?!” A cultured voice roared in anger, startling Azure out of his observations. Standing behind him were the two Ponies he’d seen before in the portraits. Only now, they were in the flesh, rather than oil paints on canvas, and their gentle smiles and expressions replaced with angry scowls and tear filled eyes.

Azure Flame took an involuntary step back at their faces, filled with hurt and rage.

“Wha…” the alabaster Unicorn’s hoof lashed out and struck Azure across the face, knocking him onto his flank.

“Agh! What was that for?!” Azure shouted, rubbing his bruised jaw.

“How dare you show yourself to us after what you did!” the mare shouted angrily while the filly’s expression morphed between sorrow and disgust as she looked at him.

“What did I do?!” Azure cried, shielding his face from any further blows.

“What did you do? What did you?!” The white Unicorn grabbed the sides of his head and wrenched it painfully so he had no choice but to stare up into her eyes.

“THIS IS WHAT YOU DID!” She screamed, her voice becoming more of an monstrous echo rather than a Pony’s voice, and her lavender eyes melted out of her skull, and a filly-ish scream of terror erupted from the only stallion there as the dark, empty pits sucked in Azure’s gaze until there was nothing he could see but pure darkness.

Quickly, though, he became surrounded by shapes and visions, realizing he was somehow seeing the past from the mare’s perspective, as he/she looked up at… him. Or rather, Blueblood. In horror and revulsion Azure could only helplessly watch as Blueblood treated this mare outrageously poorly, the posh dance ending with him using her/him as a shield against a flying cake. He/she could feel only burning anger and shame at the action, but the emotions quickly twisted as his sight was as well, and he found himself staring up at Blueblood again.

This time they were in the halls of the Royal palace, and he/she was cowering as Blueblood raised a hoof towards her as if to strike out, fury marring his face. Fear towards Blueblood coursed through his/her veins which was followed by a hollow disgust as Blueblood turned tail and ran.
Another lurch and Azure was now staring up at a departing airship, Azure Flame/himself staring down at her/him. A drowning sense of sorrow pierced her/his very soul as she/he felt tears drip down the muzzle, until a gust of wind ripped the cloak around Azure’s flank off, revealing a very familiar compass rose Cutie Mark.

A new stab of pain shoots through her/his heart, a feeling of betrayal all but shattering her/his tenuous grip on reality.

With a scream of pain, Azure Flame collapsed to the floor of the illusory bedroom, panting and shivering as tears dripped down his face.

“I did that?” He whispered, trembling as adrenaline and emotions coursed through him.

“What now, Azure Flame?” The mare demanded in an imperious tone, her eyes and voice back to normal. “There’s still one Pony left. And her pain is beyond even mine. Can you even handle that, weak, cowardly thing you are?”

A door appeared on the wall behind the alabaster mare, and Azure Flame looked up at it in confusion.

“Get out. You couldn’t handle my pain, what makes you think you can handle hers?” The mare asked, as the filly crept up slowly to stand beside the older Unicorn, looking at Azure with a fathomless expression. Not matter how hard he tried, he could not look away from her gaze. There was no anger in it, just endless pain. What had he done to create such a response?

“No.”

The mare blinked in surprise, looking at the stallion in shock.

“No, I will not leave. I will pass this test, and I will have my answers.” Azure Flame struggled to his hooves, never breaking eye contact with the filly. “And I will take on your burden. If it was my fault, I will relieve you of this suffering.”
He stepped forward and stared into the green filly’s eyes.

“I will not run anymore.” Rather than the melting eyes from earlier, he just fell into them, the darkness parting to reveal great waves of blue water. Azure Flame was swept up onto a tide of bitter, salty water, drowning in the sudden flood before he found himself on dry land. Or rather, a room.
Prince Blueblood’s room, to be precise. She/he was bound to the bed, thick ropes biting into her/his legs, and a whimper escaped her as something out of nightmares stepped forward.

It was not a Pony. Oh, it had the shape of one, but no fur covered it, and the flesh was stretched thin over sharp bones, while a fang filled mouth sneered down at her/him all the while red orbs of pure hate looked her/him over.

“Such a fragile little thing, aren’t you mortals? Born in blood, only to end in blood, living short and restless lives with the threat of a million ways to die hanging over you. And yet from you weaklings darkness like myself can be birthed. In that way, you’ve done one thing right, giving rise to power and strength.” The voice was harsh and rasping, like rusted chains dragged over tombstones. Not an ounce of warmth filled it, and she/he shivered at the tone.

The monster raised a hideously deformed hoof, holding up a small crystal orb before her/him.

“This little trinket is going straight to Prince Blueblood, little morsel. So, be a dear and speak for me.”

“Is, is it really you, Mr. Blueblood? Please, help me! I, I’m so scared!”

“Alright, that’s enough out of you,” the thing snarled, and she/he let out a squeal of fear as the other hoof was raised to her. A torn sheet was shoved into her/his mouth, cutting off her feeble cries. The monster, Bane it had called itself, began to talk some more. Tear slowly welled up at the corners of her/his eyes, and a muffled sniffle managed to make its way past the gag.

“You know, I think I’ll let Bouncing Ball talk. She seems to be bursting to say something,” Bane suddenly decided, holding the polished orb back in front of her, before ripping the cloth out of her/his mouth.

“M, Mr. Blueblood, I, I don’t know if you can hear me, but the pony with me says I can talk so I will…” She/he took a gulp of air, trying to think of what she wanted to say.

“I really had a lot of fun at the party you threw. I know it wasn’t like the real Grand Galloping Gala, but I think that one was better, because you were there, and all of your friends were really pretty, especially Miss Rarity.” A smile edged onto her/his muzzle at the thoughts of the party, with the pretty dresses and the pretty Ponies all dancing and having fun.

“I wanted to say thanks. I, I’m glad I got to have fun, even if it got scary at the end…” The smile began to droop as she/he remembered the meanies who had crashed the party, the fear still clenching her chest as painfully as her sudden medical relapse had. That thought reminded her too much of her own future, and likely fate.

“I know I’m really sick, and even if they didn’t want me to know, I overheard some nurses talking one night, about how I might not have another year to live. So, I just wanted to say… thank you so much for a wonderful night, and making my last wish come true…”
Bane took the crystal away from her, and its shine faded, whatever enchantment on it gone.

“Very good, little morsel, very good indeed. Now, some other being might apologize for what is about to happen. Some might say it isn’t personal, or that it is just business. But not me.” The monster leaned in, and she/he flinched at the charnel stink on its breath.

“Just remember, that all that is about to happen is because of Bloodblood.” He raised a hoof, and jagged claws burst from the keratin, and she/he screamed in fear, which quickly became pain.

And as it continued, a small thought wormed its way into her/his mind. ‘Why Mr. Bloodblood?! Why?!’

Azure Flame collapsed to the ground of his fake bedroom once more, an even greater flood of tears cascading down to the ground as he was ejected from the pain he had brought to her. His mind roiled with agony as it tried to process what he had experienced, and what he now knew, and remembered.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He gasped, grabbing the little filly and pulling her into a tight hug.

“I never wanted this to happen! I’m sorry!”

“I forgive you,” the filly said after a while, nuzzling into Azure Flames embrace with a sniffle of her own.

“I was so scared! And I, I’m sorry I thought it was your fault! It wasn’t! You’re a good Pony!”

“What…?” Azure asked, looking down at Bouncing Ball.

“I saw your parents, and… their death… and the mean beings who want to hurt you and Princess Celestia… I didn’t mean to hate you, or hurt you!”

“I didn’t either, Bouncing Ball! Because of me, you died! I don’t deserve your forgiveness!”

The two of them continued to cry into each other’s shoulders, until their sobbing petered out into little more than sniffs and choked whimpers. For the moment, they were content to just let each other bask in the companionship.

“It’s time to go now, Bouncing Ball.” The two Ponies looked over toward Rarity, who was no longer there. Oh, it had her appearance, but it was clear now that whatever had taken her form was not a Pony at all. A dim light emitted from her in a golden aura, and her eyes were like pools of liquid silver.

A beatific smile graced her expression, before the angel stepped forward and held out a hoof to the green Unicorn filly.

“Do I have to?” She asked, pouting in an adorable manner.

“Your time is up, and you need to cross over now. Besides, Azure Flame still has one more Trial left before he can save the world. Bouncing Ball nodded sadly, standing up and wiping her eyes before taking Angel-Rarity’s hoof, who carefully guided her to the door, which now had an image of a small yellow ball with white Pegasus wings on it.

“Is that… my Cutie Mark?” the filly asked in wonder, earning a nod.

“If you could have, it would have been yours. Now, time to go,” Angel-Rarity said kindly, opening the door into a realm of blinding white light. The not-pony spared a brief glance back at Azure Flame, giving him an encouraging smile.

“Never give up.” With those final words, the two figures stepped into the light, letting it all wash over them, before the door slammed shut, cutting of the heavenly glow.

“Was that… really her?” Azure asked, wiping some final tears from his eyes.

“All souls are one here in the border between realities. Her final wish has truly been granted now, and her attachments to the mortal coil are shed. She may finally join with the Cycle of Energy.” The mechanical voice spoke up, Azure nodding slowly.

“I’m not sure what that is exactly, but I take it I passed my second trial?”

“Indeed you have. The Second Trial of Salt, the Trial of Tears. Only those beings whose souls achieve sapience can cry for another, for that is proof of the most glorious mortal trait of all: mercy. You willingly took on the pain that plagued another soul, weeping for her and with her. Your heart and soul show their true form through this. Now, one final test remains.”

“Bring it on,” Azure Flame uttered, standing proud and tall.

“As you wish.” The room, and all of existence, vanished into golden flames that swallowed the Unicorn up.

Author's Note:

Well, here we go, the first chapter of the year!

Now that the Holidays and finals are done with I can finally post (and write) this chapter now, instead of when I'd wanted to back in December.

Comments

[josue]

So sad