The Slash of Thunder

by ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

memories

Blazing Streak opened her eyes, to her confusion, she found herself facing the mountain on which Canterlot was built, illuminated by the dim moonlight. She looked down for a moment to find that she wasn't standing on anything. Her heart skipped a beat.

What? I must be dreaming.

"Blazing?" She turned her neck to see Thunder Slash floating over to her with an equally confused expression.

"Do you have any idea what's happening here? Blazing Streak asked.

"No." Slash replied, curtly.

Blazing Streak then started to hear stone cracking. Looking to the ground below them, she could she could see trees shaking violently.

"I think it's happening again!" She realized. Instead of the ground splitting apart like last time, she noticed the mountain start to rumble.

"Oh no.." Thunder Slash muttered. A moment later, A loud explosion from the tip of the mountain sent Blazing Streak tumbling through the air in shock.

"What?!" She regained her balance, to see the once peaceful mountain exploding into life, lava was sent flying through the air from the centre, which pumped out thousands of tonnes of smoke and gas.

"An eruption?! But this isn't a volcano!" She exclaimed, dodging a rock hurtling towards her. Then, she witnessed the side of the mountain splitting and cracking, crevices ploughing through the rock, down towards the ground, where Ponyville lay.

"Okay, I've never seen a volcano do that!" Thunder Slash stated.

"I'm never going to look at this mountain the same again, knowing what it could do." Blazing Streak realized.

"Neither do we." A third voice sounded from behind them. Blazing turned around to see the dark shape of Princess Luna hovering towards them.

"Princess? What are you doing here?"

"It is our job to walk in ponies' dreams and reassure them in their nightmares." Luna explained.

Blazing Streak nodded.

"Do you know what's going on here? Is this going to happen?" Thunder Slash asked.

Princess Luna turned her attention to the blue Pegasus.

"Who's this?" The mare in question sighed.

"I'm Thunder Slash, arrived here two days ago and I am part of what's going on here." She explained briefly, sparking her electricity for a moment to show her part in the prophecy.

Princess Luna was staring at her thoughtfully for a moment, before shrugging and changing the subject.

"Me and Celestia, we have felt things. This mountain isn't a volcano. There are deeper evils at work beneath the rocky layer of ground. We are afraid... We fear that.. Tartarus is rising, and we do not know how to stop it. We must warn you, Blazing Streak, old enemies of Equestria are returning, some with... Bloodthirsty intentions."

"Wait, does that mean?..." She cast her mind back to four years ago, she remembered the intensity of the ferocious battle with Night Whisper, her long time hatred for the Unicorn flooded back into her mind.

"Yes, he will return, but so will something much, much worse; we can feel it. It's already started, We think, ponies who died long ago are coming back. Not the bad ones, they are kept at the deepest pits of the underworld, it's said that the ponies who have done great evil in their life are trapped in the darkest, deepest depths thousands of miles underneath the mountain. As you can see, they will one day break free, the eruption you see before you is them escaping. There is nothing we can do to stop them coming back, not even the elements of harmony will be of any help."

"What do we do? When is this going to happen?" Thunder Slash took the words right out of Blazing Streak's mouth. Luna only shook her head.

"We do not know." The Princess said, grimly.

.--...--...---...--...--.

Blazing Streak's eyes shot open. The morning light beamed into her face, heating up her muzzle.

What a dream...

Careful not to disturb her still sleeping wife beside her, which was hard to do, seeing as Applejack had a hoof wrapped around her, she gently moved her hoof from around her chest and placed it on the covers beside her. Not gentle enough, Applejack let out a soft moan and started to open her eyes.

"Mnh.. Mornin' Firefly. Have a good sleep?" She asked, drowsily.

"Sorry for waking you, AJ. I slept okay, I guess. You?" Applejack looked at her for a moment before stating;

"You had a dream, didn't ya?"

"I'm really that obvious?"

"Eyup. Yer shaky wings are givin' it away a bit." Blazing Streak looked to her side, her wings were twitching like they do when something was wrong. She sighed and told Applejack everything about her encounter with Princess Luna.

"Princess Luna told ya this? N' here Ah was thinkin' that we had some peace 'round here fer a change. An infinite army of dark pony thingys, a journey n' now this. Ya'd think that there could only be so much chaos in a single town." Blazing Streak nodded in agreement.

"Well, I guess I'll go and get breakfast, you want anything?"

"Ah'll get mahself somethin' in a bit." Blazing Streak could have sworn she heard some mild sadness in her wife's voice. She turned around, worried, to face her.

"Is something wrong, AJ?"

"I-it's nothin', dont worry, Firefly. Don't worry 'bout me, it's stupid." It was very clear that she was upset.

"Well I am worrying, what's bothering you, Applejack? You know you can tell me." Applejack sighed before replying.

"It's just... How long has it been since we went out n' did somethin', together.. Without impending doom looming over us?" The question took Blazing Streak aback. Now that she thought about it, it had been a very long time. She was going to reply when AJ went on.

"Ah was goin' ta take ya somewhere today, ta take your mind off Thunder Slash n' all that, had a free day n' everything. But now, with that dream ya'll just had, yer goin' ta be worryin' about that until it happens and you stop it, preventin' us from doin' anything nice." Raw disappointment rippled through her words.

Guilt rushed through Blazing. She hadn't thought about anything like that at all. She clambered back onto bed and hugged her wife.

"Applejack... You know, you could have just asked me anyway. I can put my worries to the side if it means you'll be happy. You come first. Tell you what, tonight, I'll take you somewhere, just you and me, no worries, no fear, just us. Alone. I'm more than willing, I'd love to."

"Really? Ya mean that?" Applejack's voice was full of hope.

"Of course!" She separated the hug, so she was holding her wife's shoulders and looking into her eyes. She had a wide smile on her face, mirroring her own. An idea suddenly formed in her mind.

"I already know where to go." She closed the distance and kissed Applejack on her lips for a long moment.

.--...--...---...--...--.

A cool breeze wafted into Blazing Streak's face as she tightened her saddlebags containing a bottle of apple cider, two mugs and some snacks. The trees around her gently swayed, rustling the leaves together in a natural harmony. The evening sky was dotted with clouds, which drifted slowly across the orange tinted horizon. She heard the front door of her home shut behind her, followed by footsteps. She turned around to see Applejack strolling up to her with an excited smile on her face.

"You ready to go?" Blazing asked her.

"Eyup." Applejack replied. Blazing Streak turned and crouched down so that her wife could climb on.

"Get comfortable, it's a long flight."

"where are we goin'?" Applejack asked as she climbed onto Blazing Streak's back. She wasn't worried about flight anymore - she had enough experience to know that it was relatively safe.

"You'll see." Blazing Streak replied with a smile at her wife. She took off into the sky and pointed towards the mountains. She flew at a moderate speed, careful not to scare Applejack, or even unbalance her. Wind flapped her mane and tail around, pushing her orange fringe back.

She climbed higher, until she was just underneath the cloud layer. She had a clear view of Ponyville, the farm and the mountains. To her, it was just an everyday flight, but Applejack was looking around in awe. An idea struck Blazing Streak as she saw a dense forest below. She gently pitched into a dive towards the bundle of trees.

"Woah, what're ya doin', firefly?" She heard the farm pony ask.

"Don't worry, it'll be like a roller-coaster in a theme park. You'll love it." At that, she reached the patch of thick trees. She was moving fast, but easily managed to weave her way through the gaps in the trunks. Applejack let out a loud scream and held on tighter. Blazing smirked as the undergrowth and plants started to blur as she picked up speed, as much as she deemed safe.

She noticed the forest thinning out gradually, focusing ahead, she saw the steep slope of a mountain, quickly closing the distance between them. Deciding this was enough thrill for now, she flapped hard, sending them bolting upwards, her hooves inches above the rough stone of the mountainside. Once she cleared the height of the rock, she slowed to a cruising pace. She could feel Applejack relaxing, her breath heavy and her heart racing.

"Never do that again, ya hear me?" She scorned, before bursting out in a fit of giggles. Blazing Streak just smiled. Looking to her left and down, she recognized the place where Applejack and Rarity had fallen down the mountainside and almost hit the floor. There was a scorch mark down the side, probably from her rapid descent. She cringed and wobbled a bit at the memory.

"Woah, what's wrong, sugar cube?" Her wife asked, concerned.

"Just saw the cliff you and Rarity fell down." She replied, earning a shiver from her wife. Deciding not to talk about it, she carried on. In the distance, she saw the river they had set up camp next to, and where she had confessed her love for Applejack all those years ago. Apparently, Applejack saw it too. She gasped.

"Are we goin' where Ah think we're goin?"

.--...--...---...--...--.

Blazing Streak slowed to a near hover. Looking down, she saw a clearing surrounded by a dense pine forest. In the clearing, a pool of water reflected the evening sky. She could see tiny yellow specks hovering around, casting a dim glow on the grass below. A lone tree stood near the shining pool. Applejack had her muzzle resting on Blazing Streak's neck, her soft breathing warming the red Pegasus.

She gently glided down to the clearing. Upon touching down, Applejack grunted and opened her eyes.

"Mnh... It's beautiful." She said, still half asleep from the slow flight there from the mountain. Blazing Streak crouched down so Applejack could climb off.

"It feels like only yesterday that we were here last." Blazing Streak commented, gazing around. She saw a small hill and trotted over to it. She put her saddlebags down, laid next to them and started to relax, sleepily followed by Applejack. Blazing Streak extended a wing for her wife's comfort as she settled down next to her, brushing their pelts together. The setting sun could be seen through the gaps in the trees, beaming orange light across the clearing.

Blazing Streak liked watching the sunset, it was beautiful. More so to share it with someone you love. Applejack shifted so that her head was resting on Blazing's chest. Blazing Streak started to gently stroke her wife's mane.

"Thank ya fer this, firefly. Ah love you." She said, brushing a muzzle up against Blazing Streak's upper neck and jaw. Blazing closed her eyes and smiled. This was how things should be, not a care in the world, without the threat of, literally, all hell breaking loose.

"I love you too, Tartarus won't stop that." She kissed Applejack's forehead. The farm mare pulled back before connecting their lips together in a kiss. Blazing softly moaned into the kiss, her spine tingling like electricity had coursed through it, she felt her fur on her neck start to stand up. She brought her other wing up to embrace Applejack. She felt her wife's tongue against her lips, subconsciously, she parted them, allowing entry. The familiar apple and cinnamon flavour swirled in her mouth as Applejack took over. Her wings sharply unfolded, making a 'pomf' sound. The tingling sensation grew stronger, spreading to her wings and lower spine.

Eventually, they had to separate for breath.

"...Wow... It's been too long." Blazing Streak stated, staring up into the emerald pools above her, which stared lovingly into her own. After a while, Applejack lowered herself so that her muzzle was buried in Blazing's neck.

By now, the sun had sunken into the horizon, replaced by a bright full moon, which hung in the sky along with millions of stars.
They laid there, staring up into the sky above in silence. No speech was needed, the two just enjoyed each others' company. Blazing Streak had almost forgotten about the prophecy, it was somewhere at the very back of her mind, but she didn't think about it for now. Applejack's breathing had calmed to rythmatic breaths, telling Blazing that she had fallen asleep. A smile formed on her face. She started to think about the rest of her friends, she realised that she hadn't spent much time with them either, she'd been too caught up with serious events like the recent ones.

I really need to let loose more.

Her mind wandered back to the fight the day before. Why did Thunder Slash have to challenge her like that? She didn't know any sane pony could be so cold hearted towards an innocent pony to attack them. Granted, she had seen worse, but that was insanity. Thunder Slash wasn't insane, to Blazing Streak's knowledge, she was arrogant and cocky, hell, even worse than Rainbow Dash could be sometimes. Inevitably, she started to think about the prophecy. She had learned in that fight that her and Thunder Slash could create ridiculously powerful magic, that worried her. She had always thought about her powers like a gift, but she liked to restrain herself, using light magic could be disastrous to the town, her fire magic alone could burn down several buildings easily, light energy could destroy Ponyville and more in an instant if used wrong. She mentally shook her head, she should't be thinking about that, not now.

Her mind was snapped out of her pondering when the ground began to shake.

No, no, no! Not now!

Applejack woke up.

"What's happening? Blazin'?" They both stood up, Blazing Streak immediately looked towards the mountain, but saw nothing happening. Uncertain relief flowed through her.

"I don't know!" She replied, looking round, she saw the trees shaking, but noticed them calming down a bit over time. Confused, she flew up so that she could observe their surroundings to see if there was anything wrong. She saw nothing. As the trees halted their quaking, she flew back down with a deadpan.

"Why did that have to happen now?" She asked, irritated.

"Ah don't know, well, it was amazin' while it lasted, but we should get back ta Ponyville and check with them." Applejack pointed out, disappointment in her voice. Blazing Streak went up to her and hugged her, before allowing her to climb on. After she had gotten comfortable and the saddlebags were secure, Blazing shot from the ground towards Ponyville, cursing her luck.

.--...--...---...--...--.

It took them about ten minutes to get there with the quickened pace. From above, the town looked relatively okay, a few pots had fallen and smashed, along with other minor damage, but it looked fine. Relieved, she headed back to the farm.

Landing at the front door, Applejack got off and they walked in.

They noticed the living room light on.

I thought everyone would be asleep by now.

They trotted up the door and looked in. Blazing Streak immediately froze.

"Granny?!" Applejack exclaimed. There, in the usually empty rocking chair, sat the deceased Granny Smith. She appeared to be asleep. Princess Luna's words repeated in the back of her mind.

It's already started, We think, ponies who died long ago are coming back.

Applejack rushed over to her grandmother, tears were escaping her eyes. She hugged, the elderly mare, shocking her awake.

"Wha? Who's there n' why did ya wake me? Applejack? What's goin' on baby girl?" Applejak was crying into Granny Smith's shoulder.

Could this be what the tremor was?

She trotted up to the two. Granny Smith was patting her granddaughter on the back with a confused expression on her face.

Blazing Streak didn't know what to make of this situation, she was happy for her wife that her Grandmother had come back, but she was also worried about the prophecy coming true. She opted to stand there with a warm smile on her face, unable to think of anything to say about the situation.

Author's Note:

Alright, that took me more than 2 weeks.

Thanks to atomicbrony45; http://www.fimfiction.net/user/atomicbrony45 for helping with the chapter title.

Go check his stuff out.

...Do it.

I would appreciate it if you took a second to rate, if you want.