Us Against the World

by Chelis

The Fire Pt 2

It was then when Fluttershy realized she screwed up. She had spent hours deep in the forest, trying to aid the animals in their escape, kicking the ground near the nests until the animals came out. She would then point to where safety was, with the animals obliging her direction. By the time the fire was a mile or less away, she had retreated to her cottage. She took little to no time packing whatever valuables that she could not afford to lose.

Once she grabbed her valuables, she sprinted to the door, her pet bunny right behind her. It was then she stopped outside and was white in fear.

"The picture!" she hollered as she dropped her duffle bag and went back inside

"Stay right here, Angel!"

She went inside and into her bedroom. On top of her closet was a box of useless things she collected over the years. In the middle of the box was a frame of a younger her and her parents. She didn't stop to admire it, survival was the first thing. She heard a large crack, then the sound of a tree falling on her, she had run out of time. She tried to get out, but it was too late.

A large branch crashed into the cottage , knocking her down and pinning her to the ground by the ankles . She cried out in pain as she felt the stinging of her ankles probably breaking. As she tried to escape from the branch, her pet rabbit bit her finger and started to pull, trying to pull her out of the predicament she was in.

***

When Big Macintosh entered the meadow, he saw the tree come down. Whatever energy he had left was spent dashing across the field, running in the direction of the towering flames that was rapidly advancing on him.

When he was halfway across the field, she heard her cries for help and saw her trying to get out.

"Fluttershy!" Big Mac cried out.

"Mac!?"

When he arrived, he was trying to catch his breath but knew he couldn't stop.

"I'm stuck! I think it's broken!"

"Hold on!" He hollered between heavy breaths, swatting next to his girlfriend, readying himself. He grabbed the heavy branch and lifted, with the little rabbit trying his hardest to lift as well. he tried with every ounce of strength he had in his young body. He gave off a loud, audible, grunt, which kept going as he tried to lift. With one last push, he lifted with everything he had left, creating enough wiggle room to get her ankles out of the way. He dropped the branch and continued his heavy breaths, complicated by the hot, thick, smoky air around him. Fluttershy tried to get up, but winced in pain and sat back down.

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad!" She cried.

Big mac grabbed her bag, the rabbit, her parent's photo frame, and had her piggybacking off of him.

"Oh no!" she hollered. "Crown!"

They looked up to see the fire was upon them, The pines and oak trees above them were ablaze, burning only the top of the trees, the charred branches falling all around them. Big Mac took off running, dodging flaming branches that were falling out of the sky and landing with a thud that kicked up embers.

"The grass is burning too!" Fluttershy bellowed, the grass behind them catching fire from the falling branches as well.

Big Mac was originally headed to the town, hoping to find sanctuary with the firefighters who massed there for the defense of the town, but realized he didn't have the strength or energy to beat the rapidly advancing flames, especially while carrying Fluttershy and her belongings at the same time. He shifted course without warning and headed parallel to the advancing fire.

"Where are you going?!"

"A'h won't make it to town! We have to go to the lake!"

He continued his run, looking back every few seconds to see where he was. He took a quick second to stop and when looking through the trees he saw that the old commune was already ablaze, their memories were gone in an instant by the fire.

He scrambled down the lake bank, and to an old, shabby, dock with a wooden rowboat still moored.

By the time he ran down the lakeside and to the dock, the trees that were immediately next to the lake started to catch fire themselves, their canopies being the first to ignite.

He stopped to the edge of the dock and let Fluttershy down. He held on to the boat to let her quickly but gingerly get on the rowboat with Angel in her arms. He dropped her personal belongings inside and grabbed an oar of the boat. using it to guide it to the edge of the dock, and hopefully to the center of the lake.

He knew he was in trouble when he heard the loud crack above him, which stood out against the crackling sound of the burning dried leaves and trees.

"Big Mac!"

He turned around to see that a tree that was already weak and old was starting to tip over, headed right for him and the boat. He gave the boat one last shove and used the last several seconds he had to jump into the water, holding on to the oar. The tree crashed into the dock while he was in midair. A branch smacked him as he went into the water, jarring the oar out of his hands, all within view of a distraught Fluttershy.

"Mac! Mac?!" Fluttershy hollered, looking for Big Macintosh in the waves that were created by the tree. She was close enough where the waves violently carried her out to the middle of the lake, safe from the heat and flames.

She reached for her bag and fished for a flashlight which she used to shine in the area she last saw him.

The seconds felt like hours for her, and a horrible feeling of dread and sadness began to overtake her, with the belief of his death slowly overtaking her.

She then heard splashing in the water and a gasp, and she aimed her flashlight right at the source. She nearly jumped in joy from seeing that Big Mac had survived the falling tree, reunited with the oar and was slowly paddling her way.

Author's Note:

I have a skype group for fans, writers, and editors. If you want to join the madness here is the link https://join.skype.com/MkJbzfI1D8o2

Comments

[HolyCross9]

Thank goodness that Big Mac saved her!