Ember Gaze

by HeavyMetalKnight

Chapter 4: Attack on Harpy

Chapter 4:

Attack on Harpy

Ember and Tempest kept hearing explosions as they rushed to the center of town. Again and again the sound fills their ears. Ponies all around them were panicking worrying about their own lives. Tempest was looking a bit more confident now, no longer appearing like a scared filly. This would make things easier since Ember was the only one who fought that harpy.

"SOMEPONY HELP US!!!" Somepony screamed in terror.

Turning in the direction of the scream, they witnessed three harpies attacking two ponies; a stallion and mare. Ember immediately prepared the Ignis spell again, aiming a blast the assailing monsters. As the harpies harassed the innocent ponies, she fired the fiery blast at them. The beam of flame hit one of them, causing it to get knocked back. The other harpy stopped and took notice of its fallen comrade. Another chance to use Ignis. Her horn glowed a flame for the third time with the spell.

As she was about to fire, she saw what looked like a bright green flask flying through the air. When the flask hit the harpy--concerned for its comrade--a bright flash of green fire flooded her vision.

The creature made a bloodcurdling screech in pain. Green smoke clouded the area, not a sign of the harpy at all.

"What the hay?!" Tempest yelled.

As the smoke dispersed, she saw a familiar light green mare emerge. Her face looked serious for a moment, but then smiled as if she was satisfied. Ember's jaw dropped realizing who it was. Even more so when she noticed a pile of green goop where the harpy used to be.

"KIWI?!?!" Ember exclaimed in surprise.

"Ember! Hey! How's it going?" She said casually, "Glad to see you moved to Ponyville."

"Wait... Kiwi? As in: Kiwi Juice?" Tempest asked the green mare. "The Alco-what'cha-ma call it?"

"Alchemist?" Ember corrected.

"Yeah, whatever."

"What did you just do to the harpy, and what's that stuff?" She asked about the green stuff.

The green mare looked at the green stuff next to her. "Oh... that's the result of my latest brew! And it worked!" Kiwi replied cheerfully, "It reverts the molecules of any living creature, and transmogrifies them into a viscous substance."

"Uh..." The white pegasus was dumbfounded by Kiwi's vocabulary.

"In other words," Ember explained to her simply, "It turns creatures into goop."

"OOOOOOOHHHHHHH. So, it's dead right?"

"No, not really." Kiwi told her. "Buuuuut at least they won't hurt anypony now!"

Upon further inspection, it seemed as though the green substance boiled and bubbled. She never thought that an Earth pony of all things could create such a concoction.

I was never interested in making potions. Yet, now I see the merits!

Ember started to hear more screeching, left of her. Turning her head, she noticed a black colored harpy, very different looking from the others, attacking more civilians. She blew away a stray hair from her mane, and ran straight for the creature. The harpy's talons ripped through innocent pony hide, making them scream in pain as it pinned a pony down. The creature fluffed its wings as it prepared to make the final blow.

"HEY! BIRD-BRAIN!" She taunted.

The harpy looked up at her with piercing, red eyes. Its pupils were slit, making the creature look ten times as imposing. The harpy bared a wide, sharp toothed grin. It also had a large crest above its broad head.

"Is that a challenge?" It hissed.

They talk?!

The dark harpy hopped off of the innocent pony. The creature still held its piercing gaze on her, never looking away. Its black wings fluffed up wider than before, making appear more intimidating. The blue harpy used a similar method, but this one was slighter bigger.

She prepared for her Ignis spell. Upon glowing her horn, she heard her friends come up from behind her.

"Oh, crap!" Tempest exclaimed, "That one's bigger than the blue one!! It's gotta be the leader."

"Correct!" The harpy hissed. "Once I've dealt with you three, I and my brethren will repopulate this town!"

When it spoke again, she could make out that its voice was distinctly masculine. He must be a Harpy Monarch. While very little is known about harpy culture, she remembered rumors about them having some form of primitive hierarchy. This harpy is the leader, so it must be blatantly obvious that it's the Harpy Monarch.

The black harpy lunged forward as she blasted Ignis from her horn. Unfortunately her timing was off... and he dodged her blast. And just before he could slash at her with his talons, a white blur rammed into him. He shrieked in pain from the sudden impact as it toppled over. The white blur was thankfully Tempest.

"Ha!" She boasted. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

It managed to get itself up very quickly, as if he recovered from the attack. "How bold!" he said, frustrated.

Tempest's bravado shrunk upon seeing him get up. Ember looked to her side to see that Kiwi has rushed towards the harpy, throwing another flask of that green goop. While in mid-air, the harpy strafed and avoided the hurled object. The flask explodes, but the harpy evaded it.

"Is that the best you can do?!" He taunted. "Pathetic!"

The Harpy Monarch lifted itself in the air and flapped its wings vigorously. He flew higher into the air and lifted his talons up. He dove towards them, claws bared and sharp.

Ember tried to dodge, but she felt the sudden sting from the creature's talons scraping her side. She gritted her teeth. The painful stinging was just overwhelming, it was like she got scratched by an over-sized cat! She glanced at her scar; three long gashes on her side. The scars bled profusely, making her feel intense amounts of pain. Whatever energy she has to fight this thing, was ebbing slowly away.

"EMBER!!!" The three mares screamed in unison, rushing to her side.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!" The harpy cackled. "Such pitiful creatures. I will enjoy EVERY moment tearing you all apart!!"

"Not this time!" She heard a voice off in the distance.

The black harpy glanced back in surprise. From what Ember could see, a spear flown towards the harpy at an incredulous speed. The spear impaled the creature's left wing; the harpy screeched in agony. He tried to flap its wings but the pain must have been so great that it was too much for him.

To her surprise, she saw a thistle colored mare sprint towards the struggling harpy. As she got closer, Ember realized she was a unicorn. The mare's indigo mane was of medium length, wavy and magnificent. With the aura of her horn, she grasped the spear from the Harpy Monarch, and slid it out flawlessly. Her spear was unique as well. Its blade was double edged, and its shaft was long and wrapped in a black cloth. She stood in front of them, facing the black harpy. It was from here she could see her cutie mark; a spear with two glimmering streams wrapping it.

"I will give you this one chance to run away, Monarch." She demanded, "Go back to your nest and take your fellow harpies with you!"

He growled at her. "Fine, Lancer!" He then cawed.

Several harpies beckoned to his call as he turned his back, and staggered onward. A few other harpies of various colors seem to have been helping him walk. For monstrous creatures, they show great respect to their superior. There must be a lot more to these creatures which makes her even more curious.

The thistle colored mare turned around and came over to them, purple eyes showing great concern.

"Are you folks alright?" She asked them.

"Well, sorta..." Tempest told her, in regard to Ember.

The mare looked her over. "These wounds are fortunately treatable. It will take time for her to completely recover."

"Thanks for helping us, Moonlight Lancer." Kiwi thanked her.

"You need not address me by my full name, Kiwi." Moonlight told her. "Just 'Lancer' is alright."

Ember felt exhausted. Perhaps it was from the loss of blood that made her feel weak, she couldn't tell. At the very least the harpies were driven off. She could hear the faint sound of cheering off in the distance; the cheers of thankful ponies! She smiled, but then her vision started to fade to black.

"Ember?" She heard Tempest call faintly. "Ember?..."

---

Somehow, Ember had fallen asleep. For how long, she couldn't tell. Opening her eyes, she realized that she was on a soft bed in a large room. There was a closed green curtain on her left. She felt something on her side, something sticky. Turning over and lifting the covers, she found that she was wearing a large bandage across her body.

Scanning her surroundings, she noticed the floor had a checkered pattern and a green ceiling. The wallpaper was a blueish color. There was a lighting fixture just above her. There was also a small drawer with a lamp and a green tissue box on top.

She already knew she was in a hospital, there wasn't a doubt in her mind. Her mane was messy again, and attempted to fix it. As she did so, she started to recall the day's earlier events.

Those harpies were more vicious than I thought. Yet... why would they want to come here of all places? Why do they want to repopulate? It's strange and I want to know more!

She kept questioning herself for a good ten minutes or so, before the brown door in front of the room opened. It was her new friends, Kiwi, and Tempest.

"Ember!" Tempest exclaimed as she went over to her bedside. "How're ya feel'n?"

"Um... better, actually." She answered truthfully. Her side felt sore though.

"Lancer suggested to take you to the hospital after you fell unconscious." Kiwi explained, moving over to Tempest. "You were bleeding so profusely she was worried that you would die from exsanguination."

"Exsang--what?"

"It means severe blood loss."

"Why didn't you just say that instead?"

"Well, I just like to say the word. Exsanguination. Or, exsanguinate."

There was a slight pause from the white pegasus. "You are one strange pony, Kiwi. And you have my pity."

She heard more hoofsteps. It was that thistle colored mare, Lancer. She walked over to the three of them, smiling pleasantly.

"Thank goodness." She said relieved, "I assumed all that blood loss would have done you in. Thankfully, I was wrong."

"Why so much fuss about my blood?" Ember asked, still confused.

"From what the doctor diagnosed, you seem to have a bleeding disorder." Lancer began to explain. "Your blood doesn't clot normally, which explains the profuse bleeding. From the long gashes, he assumed that if we hadn't acted as fast as we did, you would have most likely bled to death."

A bleeding disorder? The only pony I know who has one is my mother.

Her mother had always told that if she got cut, she'd bleed like a stuck pig. It would take incredibly long periods of time for her mother to stop bleeding. It wouldn't have come to her that she inherited this disorder from her mother! Her father didn't have it, she knew, but then again he isn't always a healthy pony.

"But, you barely know me." She told them, "And yet... you're the kindest ponies I've ever known."

"Oh... why thank you." Lancer said.

"Hey, you may be new here," Tempest said, "but you're a pretty cool pony!"

"And braver too!" Kiwi pointed out, just before Tempest elbowed her shoulder. "Ow."

She was more than grateful for them. Even though she met these ponies within a very short period of time, they felt a lot more like real friends. Specifically Kiwi, and Tempest, since she knows almost nothing about Midnight Lancer. The most she knows about her is that she wields a spear... that's about it. Perhaps she'll get to know her more in the future? She hoped so.

A thought had now just came to her, "Um... did you by any chance come across a pink pony with a lavender mane?"

"Hmm..." Kiwi pondered. "Pink pony?... I remember there used to be a pink pony a long time ago, but from what I recall she didn't have a lavender mane. The only other pink pony I can think of is--"

"Ugh! You mean Precious Gem?!" Tempest said in disgust. "She's the prissiest, most stuck-up mare in town!"

"I dare say," Lancer admitted, "that mare is a rather uncouth individual. As rich as she may be, she's far from generous."

"Yep! Precious Gem is pretty abominable. Her, and her friends."

"Oh yeah, don't remind me." Tempest exclaimed. "Her friends are almost as obnoxious as she is! They're a bunch of dimwitted spoiled brats."

"Huh. Well, she was being rude to me just before I came here." She admitted truthfully.

Yet... there's probably more to her than I thought.

She thought about the harpy attacking this "Precious Gem". Even though she had said some pretty nasty things, she still saved her life. If anything, she hoped this would have some sort of effect on her. Either that or she's still the same pony regardless of her life being saved. Hopefully the former.

"But, who knows? Perhaps now that I've saved her life, maybe she'll become a better pony."

"Pfft! I doubt it!" Tempest spat. "That pony could care less about anypony, but herself!"

"You're right about that." Kiwi agreed. "Even if you save her life, she's still going to be the same pony she always is: VILE!"

Lancer scowled, "Perhaps it's best we do not speak of her anymore."

"AGREED!" The other two said in unison.

Wow, these ponies really don't like this pony. Not that I'd blame'em, but maybe there's some hidden depths somewhere beneath that mask of hers. I'm willing to find out!

---

It has been a few hours since she got out of the hospital. She had been having random conversations with her new friends on different topics, since they left. Things like: weather, Tempest's stunts... Kiwi's interest in volatile chemicals, but very little about Lancer. In fact, Lancer hardly said much at all since they left the building. The more she kept silent, the more she wanted to know.

As they walked side by side in streets of Ponyville, she figured now would be the best time to ask Lancer a few questions, that she might answer.

"So, Lancer... how long have you lived in Ponyville?" Ember asked curiously.

At first it seemed as though she wasn't paying attention, but she then answered, "A rather long time."

"Yep." Kiwi put in, "She's been in Ponyville since I came here."

"When was that?"

"When I was a little filly, of course! She was slightly older than I was when I first met her. And Tempest was also living in Ponyville at that time, too."

"That's right!" Tempest said proudly, "Born and raised in Ponyville!"

"Okay. Lancer, where did you learn to use that spear?"

The thistle mare raised a brow when she asked that. "My mentor."

She's straightforward, I'll give her that. She's probably a mare of few words. Even though she said more when intimidating that harpy.

"Walk faster." Kiwi leaned in close to her ear.

Ember jumped in surprise. "W-w-why?"

"She's here." She pointed her hoof forward.

Right before her, she saw that pink pony she saved, Precious Gem. She was wearing bandages across her abdomen. She was walking with two other ponies beside her, one was a very light blue, the other a light gray. They must have been the "friends" she told her about. Her and her friends seem to be enjoying a conversation--about what, she couldn't tell. It was probably something prissy, something she would have absolutely no interest in.

"Hey, look!" The light blue one laughed. "It's the loony pony and her lame friends."

"I am not loony!!" Kiwi exclaimed, offended.

"And we're not lame!" Tempest defended.

"Hehehe!" The gray one snickered, "Yeah! It's them alright!"

"Precious Gem!" Ember called out, "Hey!"

The pink pony raised a brow. "Uh... hi. What do you want?" She replied rudely.

She was taken aback, "I saved your life. You know, from that harpy? Don't you remember?"

"Eeeyah. I do. Thanks. Anyway, I got better things to do than waste my time with you." She started walking off, her friends still snickering.

Just like before. Ungrateful.

Her eyes felt moist and her face felt hot. She didn't want to cry over this. This wasn't something worth crying over. Still... it felt wrong. She saved her life, yet she wasn't grateful for it. It just didn't seem right! She fought back the tears as best she could, trying not to look weak in front of her new friends.

"See what I mean?! There not a--" Tempest cut herself off, noticing Ember's expression. "You alright?"

No. Not here.

"I-I'm fine." She lied. "I just... need to get some rest."

Comments

[DNA Hochburger]

"EMBER!!!" The three mares screamed in unison, rushing to her side.

You said "three" mares there. So did Lacer also call out for her?

Also: Why you do this Precious Gem. WHYYYYYYYY? Nice chapter as always.

And before I forget it I also found something in chapter 2 when I looked something up:

Kiwi started laughing hard, as if what she said was hilarious. "No no no. my talent is actually pretty different!" She corrected, turning her flank towards Ember, showing her cutie mark, "I just so happen to be pretty good at chemistry--or alchemy, or whatever you call it! I can make just about any kind o' potion ya need!"

That should be written big.

She remembered reading in her bestiary, about zebras making potions and having mystical abilities. earth ponies don't have the same mystical abilities as a zebra, though.

That should be also written big.

[HeavyMetalKnight]

6277653 Yes, she did. And thank you for pointing them out.
Also, this is just the sum of few characters who become main protagonists.

[Star Brush]

6197224 You don't have to buy g docs. It comes with a gmail account