Fire and Flames
Ponyville was a rather interesting little village. More world ending events happened here than possibly anywhere else in the Multiverse. They happened so often that Ponyville residents just considered it another Tuesday.
It was very convenient that these apocalyptic events tended to actually happen on a Tuesday.
And it was one such Tuesday morning, that this particular event happened. A stranger visited Ponyville, and chaos itself was bound to follow.
“SPIIIIIIIKE!” the familiar hollar echoed from Golden Oaks Library. It would Princess Sunset Shimmer was awake. “Where is my Starswirl Almanac?”
“Where it always is,” her draconic brother replied with a small sigh. “Third shelf, second from the right.”
“It’s supposed to be fifth from the left,” Sunset grumbled as she floated the book down. “Honestly, everything has a place for a reason.”
“Yes yes,” Spike rolled his eyes and ducked the tome she threw at his head. “Hey! I may be immune to your fire, but books hurt.”
“Aw, poor baby,” Sunset chuckled. The dragon just shook his head as he picked up the papery projectile and put it back on the shelf it was fired from.
“So, what are you working on now?” he asked as he sat down beside her.
Sunset flipped through the book until he found the section on summoning spells.“Just curious,” she answered. “Quick Fix had a small… summoning problem a while back. Something about Time Travel, Redheart and soup… I dunno, I tuned most of it out. But the summoning sounded interesting.”
“Sunset,” Spike put a claw on the book. “Remember the last time you tried summoning?”
Sunset paused, a small frown on her features as she searched through her memories. “Hmm, Oh! Yeeah, that Balrog was fun to fight!”
“And she completely misses the point,” Spike sighed to himself. “Look Sis, we just barely got over a giant dragon wrecking the town. The last thing we need is for you to summon some eldritch abomination.”
“Summon one one time!” Sunset muttered as her horn sparked. Spike put up his hands in defense, but smiled cheekily. The unicorn powered down and looked at him. “So, any plans for today?”
“I have a date with a wonderful mare by the name of Roseluck,” Spike smiled. “She has the most lovely mane and a set of flanks that you could bounce a bit off of~”
“Okay, did not need to know that,” Sunset grimaced and smacked his arm with a hoof. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to--”
“Sunset!!” the door burst open and Shade ran inside, yelping as a fireball flew past his head, singing his left ear a little. “Ow, watch it!”
“That’s Princess Sunset to you! Damned heretic,” the irate unicorn muttered. “What do you want?”
“I came to tell you a pack of Timberwolves is heading out from the forest,” Shade replied. “Around two dozen or so!”
“By my Mother, I hate Tuesdays,” Sunset cursed and got up. “Alright, let’s go and take care of them before they cause too much damage.”
“You mean, more than you usually cause?” Shade smirked, then yelped as another fireball whizzed past him. “Alright, sorry!”
“You will be if you make a crack like that again,” Sunset replied. “Come on, you’re helping as well.”
Shade blinked at that. Well bugger. Still, Sunset was scarier than a few animated wood wolves any day.
“Alright y’all!” Fiddlesticks called out to the various Earth Ponies in hastily put together armour. “We only need t’hold ‘em off until Shade gets back with Sunset. Ah don’t want no heroics. Ain’t nopony becomin’ wolf chow on mah watch!”
“AYE!” the other half dozen ponies shouted and stomped their hooves as the darkened treeline begun to shine with the light of more than twenty sets of sickly glowing green eyes. More than that, was their foul stench of the Chaos magic that animated them. It was enough to make even the most stalwart guard reconsider their stance.
But these were Apples. And nopony or no foul beast would be allowed to mess with their farm and their kin.
Fiddlesticks ears twitched and she suddenly glanced to her left, as a pony she didn’t know stepped up next to her.
“Allow me to assist,” he said as his horn shone with a crimson corona…
“Come on!” Sunset shouted to the slender stallion running a few feet behind her. “If we don’t get there soon then--” She paused as a peculiar scent filled her nostrils. It wasn’t the decayed smell of Timberwolves, nor was it the smell of blood of slain ponies.
She knew this smell all too well. The smell of fire and smoke.
“Is Fiddlesticks playing with fire?” she asked aloud as her horn glowed. The air around her shimmered and she vanished with a sharp crack, appearing at her envisioned destination. In hindsight, she should have just teleported in the first place.
The unicorn ran towards the source of the smoky scent, and soon found Fiddlesticks with the rest of her family. A quick headcount showed that everypony seemed to be alright.
“Fiddlesticks!” Sunset called out, gaining the attention of her earthen friend. “What happened?”
“Sunset?” the mare turned her head, she looked… rather perplexed. It was very rare to see Fiddlesticks of all ponies confused. As Sunset got closer, she saw what might have been the reason. The field behind Sticks was scorched, through the trees seemed to be spared any harm, the grass suffered some casualties though.
“What… happened?” Sunset asked as she looked around. “Did you do this?”
“Nope,” Fiddlesticks shook her head and smiled, pointing a hoof. “He did.”
“He?” Sunset turned to where Fiddlesticks was pointing. She saw a unicorn stallion, his coat was a light cream colour, almost white. And his mane and tail were a striking mix of reds, yellows and oranges. His build was larger than a standard unicorn, more akin to Shining Armour. Tall, muscular, but not overly so. The base of his tail was tapered with a lavender-hued ribbon and his Cutie Mark was a checkered black and white shield, a flame and a heart located on the black spaces.
“Who is that?” Sunset asked her friend, earning a small shrug in response.
“Ah dunno his name,” Fiddlesticks admitted. “But he jus’ took out all the Timberwolves on his own. He’s a lot like you actually.”
“Like me?” Sunset looked at the damage. Was he a Fire Blood Elemental? The magic used here had a strange taste to it. Not quite Equestrian magic… but she couldn’t put her hoof on what it was.
Well, only one way to find out.
“HEY!” Sunset said as she walked up to him. “Who the hay are you!?”
He turned his head away from the conversation he was having with Apple Cobbler. Thankful he had something to distract him from the mare’s persistent flirting. Sunset paused as his crimson eyes gazed into hers.
“You know, it’s rude to demand a name without giving one yourself,” he said. His tone of voice hinted that he was young, maybe early twenties?
“You don’t know who I am?” Sunset continued her loud volume. Several ponies took a step back, not wanting to get caught in the impending and often literal crossfire.
“No, should I?” the stallion replied as a vein on Sunset’s forehead throbbed.
“I am Princess Sunset Shimmer!” she replied, allowing some of her aura to show as her coat shone with a golden light. “Rightful heir to the throne of Equestria!”
’Hah, let’s see him freak out,’ she smirked to herself.
“Sorry, never heard of you,” the stallion replied as everypony took several more steps back. This stallion was gonna get roasted alive. “I’m somewhat new around here.” He stepped forward, either unfazed or ignorant of Sunset’s aura and rising anger. “My name is Flare Blitz, and I appear to be a little lost.”
“You’re about to be a little crispy!” Sunset yelled as she fired a ball of orange flame. The stallion blinked as the spell hit him…
...And did absolutely nothing. The flames dissipated over his coat as a small frown creased his brow.
“Well, that was pretty rude don’t you think?” he scolded the mare.
“Huba...whhaaa?” Sunset stood there slack-jawed. He hadn’t consumed her fire like a Blood Mage, nor had he used some kind of shielding spell. Her flames simply had no effect. “I… what… HOW!?”
“Yeah, fire doesn’t really do anything to me,” Flare said and walked past her. “And if you’re going to be rude, then I’ll just talk with the lovely mare in the hat. She seems much more amicable.”
“D-Don’t you ignore me!” Sunset replied with a flustered shout. Who in Tartarus did this… this… jerk think he was?
“Besides, how can you be a princess?” Flare turned his head and asked. “Don’t you have to be an alicorn for that?”
“Oh, that’s because her mother is Princess Celestia,” Fiddlesticks informed him before Sunset could mount a response. “And try not ta’ be upset Mr. Blitz, Sunny’s real easy to anger, but she’s a nice mare.”
Sunset idly wondered how many of them she could set on fire at once.
“Well, if you say so Miss,” Flare bowed his head. “And now those Timberwolves have been dealt with. Might I ask where I am? It looks like Sweet Apple Acres but--”
“But nuthin’,” Fiddlesticks nodded proudly. “This is Sweet Apple Acres alright. The pride an’ joy of the Apple Clan.”
’So where’s Applejack?’ Flare wondered to himself. “Well, it seems my friend isn’t around. Might I ask your name?”
“Sure can, the name’s Fiddlesticks,” the mare nodded and ruffled his mane. “An’ who’s this friend y’all are lookin’ for. Ah know everypony in Ponyville.”
“Hey!” Sunset frowned, but was ignored again.
“Her name is Applejack,” Flare said. “Last I knew, she was the one running this place with her brother Big Macintosh and little sister Applebloom--”
“Applejack ain’t no farmer,” Big Macintosh rumbled. “Y’all got some funny ideas in yer head mister.”
Flare remained silent for a moment, before Fiddlesticks clarified.
“She lives in Manehatten, has been since she was a lil’ filly. Ah guess, she jus’ didn’t want to be a farmer. The life of the rich and fabulous sounded more appealin’ ah guess.”
Well that didn’t sound like Applejack at all. Farming was her life, he often joked she had apple juice for blood. So, to hear that was a little surprising.
“Seems I’m really not home at all,” he mumbled to himself.
“Do. Not. Ignore ME!” Sunset got up in his face. “Who are you? What are you doing here and HOW did you nullify my flames?”
Flare rolled his eyes, if it wasn’t for her attitude, she’d remind him a lot of Twilight. At least with the incessant questions.
“Okay, as I said my name is Flare Blitz,” the pony replied, pushing her muzzle back with a hoof. “I don’t entirely know how I got here. I was helping out with a spell, then appeared here. As for how…” He opened his mouth and exhaled a small flame. “I’m a Fire-type Pokémon with the Flash Fire ability, so of course your flames wouldn’t work.”
Sunset blinked, before her trademark frown appeared again. “How does that explain anything!? What the hay is a Pokeyman?”
Flare groaned and facehooved. “This might take a while. Do you have somewhere more comfortable we can talk? I’m feeling a little tired.”
“Yeah, talking with Sunset will do that,” Shade smirked and ducked another fireball, but not the second one that smacked his face, causing him to flail as his mane smoked and smouldered.
“Jeez you’re harsh,” Flare commented. “You sure you’re Tia’s daughter? I can’t imagine she’d teach you such terrible manners.”
There was so much to correct in that question that Sunset didn’t even know where to start. She simply let out a strangled growl and stormed off.
“Oh wow,” Shade replied, his mane a little shorter now. “I don’t think I’ve seen her quite that mad before. You have to teach me your secrets!”
Flare just raised an eyebrow, before giving a polite nod to Fiddlesticks and following Sunset. This little excursion was turning out to be quite interesting… and more than a little vexing.
Flare sipped a cup of tea, humming thoughtfully at the taste. It reminded him of the blends that Tia would serve when he visited.
“So let me get this straight,” Sunset rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You’re from… an alternate version of Ponyville? And even then, you’re from another world entirely?”
“Yeah, it’s confusing as all hell and I lived it,” Flare nodded. “I was helping my marefriend out with a new spell. But it seems that… she screwed it up somehow. And I now find myself here in your… pleasant company.”
“Nice save,” Sunset muttered.
“So, you’re Tia’s daughter?”
”Princess Celestia!” Sunset corrected him. “And yes, ever since I was a small filly. She adopted me and taught me everything I know. Even now, I’m the Element of Magic and have defeated Nightmare Moon. Well, me and my friends did.”
So, Sunset was basically Twilight. Fiddlesticks must have been Applejack. Flare wondered about Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Though if two were different, then so must the others.
“Well, I suppose I should start looking for a way home,” he said and Sunset nodded.
“Do you know what spell your marefriend was casting? I should be able to successfully recast it.”
Flare closed his eyes and thought on it. Try as he might, he just couldn’t remember the name of the spell that Twilight was casting. “Sorry, I tend to tune out when she starts rambling about the more technical stuff.”
“My little brother does the same,” Sunset sighed. “If only he’d focus more on studies of the esoteric, instead of a mare’s anatomy.”
Flare actually blushed at that. Okay, so maybe that was one of his more favourite subjects as well. Twilight usually gave him an A for his efforts. “Little brother?” Flare asked as the library door opened and Spike walked in, surprised to see that Sunset had… a stallion…
Oohhohoh~
“Oh, nice one sis,” he chuckled and ruffled her mane. “You finally snagged a stallion. I knew you had it in you. You want some pointers?”
“Spike… remove your hand or I’ll do it for you… then beat you with it,” Sunset growled as Spike laughed and ruffled her mane again.
“Sorry Spike, but I’m just visiting,” Flare said as he looked at the dragon. He was a heck of a lot taller than the Spike here remembered.
“How did your date go?” Sunset asked and Spike sighed as he flopped onto the couch.
“Well… at first,” he said and rubbed his head. “Then when we got word about a Timberwolf attack at Sweet Apple Acres. She shouted something about ‘The Horror’ of it and fainted… right into her soup.”
“Roseluck?” Flare asked and Spike nodded. “Ahh, some things haven’t changed after all. I’d recommend somepony, but I think you might be a little old for them.” Well, so long as Silver Spoon was still a filly in this version.
“Appreciated, but that’s fine. I’ll find another lovely mare soon enough. None as lovely as my dearest Moondancer though.” Spike let out a wistful sigh as Sunset shook her head. She turned her head back to Flare and shrugged.
“Brothers, what can you do huh?”
“Should I feel insulted?” Spike huffed with mock-indignation. “Because I feel insulted.”
“Get over it,” Sunset giggled. Actually giggled. That was odd for Flare to see on what he thought was a permanently irritated mare. It was… kinda cute.
“Well, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Flare said and sighed. “I need to remember this spell…”
“No rush, unless you’re in a hurry to get home,” Sunset said, earning a look from both Flare and Spike. “What?”
“Normally, you’d be more than willing to set aside everything if it meant getting rid of company,” Spike replied. “What’s going on sis?”
“N-Nothing!” Sunset exclaimed. It certainly wasn’t because this stallion was interesting. Unusual magic, an entire world of things she’d never heard of! She wanted to learn everything!
“Hooboy, she’d got that look in her eyes,” Spike sighed and clapped Flare on the shoulder. “Seems you're screwed… and not in the fun way. So… enjoy.”
“I’m used to it,” Flare sighed and shook his head. he doubted she could be any worse than Twilight when she was in one of her moods.
Flare drew the line when Sunset started looking for her scalpels, so he’d silently ditched her when she'd left the room looking for them. He wanted to take a looked around Ponyville and see what was the same and what was different.
What he never expected, was to see a house mostly made of metal, and a brown-coated unicorn mare arguing with what looked like… Bon Bon?
“Och! Are yeh deaf?” The unicorn said. “Ah said ah’d get to it didn’ I? So don’t yeh git so high and mighty with me!”
“You said you'd fix it a week ago,” Bon Bon tapped a large golden staff on the ground. “So either you do it, or we'll find someone more qualified.”
“Yeesh,” a mare next to Flare sighed. “Somepony had a full bowl of their bitchflakes this morning.” She was a green pegasus mare with a yellow mane. Heeey, Flare actually recognised her. Thunder Flash? Or something like that. Wasn’t she was one of Rainbow’s friends.
“Bon Bon does seem pretty mad,” Flare nodded. “Who's the unicorn?”
“That’s Quickfix Aperture, Ponyville's head mechanic and Leading member of Cult Mechanicus those who worship the Machine God, Deus Mechanicus,” Lightning explained, sighing a little at that mouthful.
“God?” Flare tilted his head. He knew gods, he hoofpunched one in the face. “Any idea why she’s fighting with Bonnie?”
“Probably over the water filtration unit,” Lightning said and stretched her wings. Flare noticed her large fangs. Was she part Thestral? Or maybe a Changeling? Another glance showed that several other Pegasi were fanged as well. Interesting, and a little terrifying. Where he came from, sharp teeth meant they ate the more meaty kind of food.
“Look you nag, Ah’ve been busy with my work. Ah said it’ll get fixed and it will. So git off mah back!”
“Nag!?” Bon Bon slammed her staff on the ground, the weapon thrumming with holy might. Flare frowned and stepped forward, Lightning Dust blinked and trotted after him.
“Excuse me?” Flare said as he walked closer to Quickfix and Bon Bon. “Is there a problem here?”
“Aye, this nag of a mare won’t git off mah case,” Quickfix nodded and looked at the stallion. Ooh, he wasn’t bad. Kinda handsome actually. But he wasn’t familiar.
“Nag!? Again with the namecalling,” Bon Bon said as the sun’s ray grew brighter. Lightning and Quickfix backed up a little.
“H-Hey now,” Lightning said nervously. “Calm down Bon. You know how Quick is. Northerners are more stubborn than Minotaurs.”
“Yeah, so ya mind killin’ the light show?” Quickfix agreed. Getting smoted by holy light would really put a dampener on her afternoon.
“I would… if I was doing this,” Bon Bon said, looking more confused than anypony else.
“No, I am,” Flare said as he used Sunny Day, his mane flickering with fiery embers. “Violence is no way to settle an argument between friends.”
“You…” Bon Bon gripped her staff tighter. How was this unknown stallion doing this? The Glorious Sun’s might was reserved for Princess Celestia and her Priestesses. How… How DARE this heretic use it so casually. Never mind how, he was going to Tartarus!
“You dare to insult Our Great and Glorious Princess Celestia with your heretical magicks!?” Bon Bon yelled and her staff grew brighter. Flare’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “You shall BURN for your heresy!”
“Yeeeaahh… nope!” Flare turned and his body glowed with a white light as he took off with a Quick Attack, Lightning more than anypony was surprised at the speed in which a groundbound pony like him could achieve.
“Get back here!!” Bon Bon yelled as she chased after him, only to bump into Sunset. “Ah, just in time,” she said. “We have a heretic on the loose. One that dares use our Wise and Beautiful Celestia’s magic. You shall assist in smiting him.”
Sunset paused and looked at the enraged earth mare. “White unicorn stallion, red mane and tail?”
“You know him!?” Bon Bon exclaimed.
“Yes, he’s an… acquaintance, and harmless,” Sunset explained.
“But, his magic affect the sun itself!”
Sunset glanced upwards. The sun did seem a bit brighter than before. And for some reason, her Fire Blood seemed to relish in it, surging with strength. “How… very interesting. He’s just full of surprises isn’t he?”
“Surprises my flank, I’ll see him burn,” Bon Bon roared, as Sunset put a hoof to her chest and shook her head.
“He’s from a very faraway place. The rules there are a little different so he likely didn’t know.” Sunset lowered her hoof, but Bon Bon still looked outraged.
“His power is a threat to Celestia and to you,” she argued.
“Nopony’s power is a threat to me!” Sunset snapped. “I could snap him like a twig if I so chose. I will vouch for him, so leave this matter be Bon Bon.”
“Fine,” Bon Bon relented, much to everypony’s surprise. Normally she was like a dog with a bone about something like this. They still recalled hers and Pizzelle's spat a few weeks ago over the mare’s adopted kitsune son.
Sunset nodded and followed after Flare, Lightning Dust having already flown off after him.
Quickfix turned around to walk back inside her home, only to have Bon Bon grab her hoof.
“Oooh no, I am nowhere near done with you!”
“Bloody Tartarus,” Quickfix groaned.
Five minutes later, Flare finally stopped running after he was sure that the crazy mare wasn’t chasing him anymore. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was now. Around this section of town should have Bon Bon’s sweet shop. But, he highly doubted that this version of her was sweet in the slightest.
A sweet scent filled his nostrils and his stomach gave a loud growl of approval. That’s right, he hadn’t eaten since this whole debacle happened. He saw a shop titled ‘Warm Delights’, and the divine smell seemed to be coming from there.
“Well, let’s take a look,” he mused and headed inside. Almost immediately, he was greeted by a chipper Pegasus mare. Her coat was a tan colour and she had a straw-blonde mane and tail. Her green eyes shone with delight as she looked up at him.
“Well, hello there,” she smiled. “Welcome to Warm Delights, one of the best bakeries in Ponyville. My name is Pizzelle. Might I ask yours?”
Flare actually blushed slightly, this mare was… adorable. He gave a polite cough and nodded his head. “My name is Flare Blitz. I was hoping that—” the rest of his words were drowned out by the loud grumble from his stomach.
“Oh my, we certainly can’t have that,” Pizzelle giggled and led him to a table. “Here, take a seat and I’ll fix you something right away.”
“Ah, thank you,” Flare nodded and the Pegasus just smiled, getting another light blush from him before she vanished from the room, her gentle humming coming from the kitchen.
“Mom’s pretty nice huh?” a voice said from below the table, making Flare jump in surprise and he fell out of his chair. He winced and rubbed his head as the voice giggled at the overreaction.
“Hilarious,” Flare sighed. One would think that dealing with Pinkie Pie would have tempered this reflex. He opened his eyes and saw what appeared to be a small fox sitting under the table, laughing at him. “Huh? Well hello there.”
“Hey,” Hikari giggled. “You’re funny. I like you.”
“Glad to hear it,” Flare replied, picking his chair back up. This little fox kind of reminded him of a Zoura. And just as mischievous it would see. “So, what’s your name kiddo?”
“I’m Hikari,” the fox nodded as he appeared on the table. Wait, wasn’t he just…? “And Miss Pizzelle is my Mom.”
“Sounds like an interesting story,” Flare nodded as he sat back down.
By the time Pizzelle returned, it surprised her somewhat to see her dear Hikari and her guest deep in conversation. As she got closer, she could hear what it was they were talking about.
“And so, Mom forgot to put the cover on the blender,” Hikari snorted as Pizzelle’s eyes widened. “The entire kitchen was covered floor to ceiling in batter and she knocked over some flour as well. It was hilarious!”
“I’ll bet,” Flare snorted in amusement as Pizzelle approached, an embarrassed blush on her muzzle.
“Oooh, you little scamp,” she said, pulling the kitsune into a hug and giving him a light noogie. “Telling silly stories about you mother like that.”
“Cause it was funny,” Hikari replied and his eyes widened. “Ooh, ohno. You wouldn’t?”
“Oh I would!” Pizzelle declared dramatically. She started to tell a story of her dear old son and all the mischief he’d gotten up to. Flare just sat back, snacking on the delicious treats the mare had brought in as the three shared stories for well over two hours.
By the time Sunset showed up looking for him, she winced as she saw he was trapped by the chattery mare. Once Pizzelle got started on a story… she never stopped. At least not any time soon. Sunset winced in sympathy, but Flare seemed to take the chatty mare in stride, even giving a few anecdotes of his own.
“Having fun?” she interrupted, only to be hugged by Pizzelle. Dang, she forgot the mare did that. She suddenly gasped and tapped Pizzelle’s back as her precious air was squeezed out of her.
“Pizz… lungs… air… need ‘em…” she gasped as the strong pegasus blinked and released her, the slender unicorn gasped and inhaled a lungful of air.
“Heh, oops?” the Pegasus mare giggled.
“Note to self, work of personal reinforcement spells,” Sunset wheezed as she fell to the ground.
“Reminds me of Pinkie’s hugs,” Flare chuckled as he helped Sunset up. “Miss Pizzelle is very nice though. I’ve had a lot of fun.”
“I have too,” Pizzelle nodded. “Though, I wouldn’t mind if you stayed for dinner tonight~”
Sunset paused and blinked, before slowly turning her head towards the mare. She… did she just?
“Well if dinner is as tasty as lunch,” Flare smiled. “What do you say Miss Sunset? Should we have dinner with her and Hikaru?”
Pizzelle and Sunset paused, before slowly turning to the oblivious stallion.
“That’s uh… not quite what I had in mind dear,’ Pizzelle said slowly.
“And unfortunately, he has other engagements,” Sunset said with a soft sigh. Flare and her brother should never team up with one another. No mare alive would be safe.
“I do?” Flare asked.
“He does?” Pizzelle quirked an eyebrow. Did Sunset already have dibs on him? No fair!
“We need to get him back to his own world, so I’ll be calling my mom to see what she can do,” Sunset explained, wondering what was with the look Pizzelle was giving her.
“Mhmm,” the pegasus smiled slyly. “I see now. Well it’s too bad I’m a little late to the party. So I’ll settle for cheering you on dear~”
“W-What!?’ Sunset flushed a deep red. “What the Tartarus are you talking about!?”
“Don’t be so coy dear,” Pizzelle giggled and hugged her. “He’s a keeper. And if you want, I could give you a little advice?”
Sunset squeaked and flushed a deeper crimson, before her horn flashed and she teleported Flare and herself from the room.
“Mom?” Hikaru looked up at her. “Were you messing with the Princess?”
“Oh yes,” Pizzelle giggled. “She’s rather adorable when she’s flustered like that.”
“Okay… rude much?” Flare said once they’d teleported back to the library. “If you didn’t want to eat with your friend, you could have just said no.”
“That’s…” Sunset paused, blushed slightly when her eyes made contact with his crimson ones and looked away. “Idiot!”
“Tsun, Tsun, dere, dere~” Spike sang from the couch, earning a fireball to the face. “Worth it!”
“Ass,” Sunset growled as she levitated a scroll and quill over, penning a quick letter to Princess Celestia.
“So, Flare was it?” Spike said as he walked over to the stallion. “Have fun in Ponyville?”
“Yeah, eerily similar to the one I come from,” Flare nodded as he watched Sunset write. She really did remind him of Twilight in many ways, including the cute little scrunch her muzzle did when she was concentrating. “A lot of differences too. Like an overly violent Bon Bon.”
“Yeah…” Spike rubbed his head. He’d tried asking her out once. He figured a nice date and maybe some fun after would help her unwind.
That had… not ended well.
She was still cute though~
“Miss Pizzelle was nice, up until she invited us for dinner and Sunset snubbed her,” Flare said, now that got the dragon’s attention. Sunset forbade him from messing with her friends, aside from the occasional lunch date with Coco. Pizzelle though… he found her very relaxing and he was used to ponies that liked to talk. Just mention Starswirl around Sunset and getting her to stop was a challenge in and of itself.
“Well now isn’t that interesting,” Spike mused and rubbed his chin. “You know, I was planning on going out tonight. You and i should hit the town.”
“Well, seeing as how Sunset ruined my dinner plans,” Flare nodded. “Why not.”
“Spiiiike,” Sunset said and thrust a scroll in his face. “Send this to Mom please?”
“At least she said please,” Spike shrugged and blew on the scroll, the paper burning up and wisping away to Canterlot. “There. Done.’
“Thank you,’ Sunset said and looked at Flare. “Now, you and I need to talk. Mainly on why Bon Bon was trying to kill you.”
“Arceus above, she flipped out worse that Twilight when I used Sunny Day,” Flare sighed and shook his head. “All she did was faint standing up.”
“And what, pray tell, is this ‘Sunny Day’ thing?” Sunset asked, narrowing her eyes. “You effected the sun itself. No one can do that except Celestia herself. You can’t just ‘magic’ the sun. She is the sun. You’d have to literally tweak my mother’s very being and that’s impossible.”
“Not really,” Flare Blitz shrugged. “Sunny Day is a pretty common skill for Fire Types. It either increases the power of the sun to boost our Fire attacks. Or in the event that it’s night or somewhere the sun’s light can’t reach, it creates an artificial light.” He closed his eyes for a moment before the light outside grew brighter and his mane and tail seemed to be giving off embers as it glowed softly. “See? Nothing to it.”
Sunset just stared at him. Her left eye twitched, “That’s not possible. It’s just not possible. It’s… you’re not magically or scientifically making any kind of sense.” A hair ‘twanged’ out of place. “You can’t just do that. Only someone with a direct link to the sun can change it.”
“Yeeah, Tia was surprised as heck that I could do it,” Flare chuckled. “That’s not all I can do. I have a move that absorbs the sun’s energy and fires it as a beam. Normally a Grass-type move. But I learned it to deal with pesky Water-types.”
“Well absorbing the sun’s power isn’t unheard of,” Sunset nodded, grasping on whatever she could to keep her sanity. “Some unicorns can draw power from it, especially Fire Blood Elementals like myself.”
“Huh,” Flare blinked and shrugged. He wasn’t sure if unicorns back home could do that or not. “Well I can also use it to heal my wounds.” he floated a letter opener over with his magic and made a small cut on his leg, before using Morning Sun as his coat glowed gold, the wound closing right up.
“Pfft,” Sunset scoffed. “That’s easy. Healing spells and abilities are easy to come by. As a Fire Blood Elemental, just by eating flames or the sun’s energy, I could do that. Yeah, in fact, I could—”
“I’m not scratching your face,” Spike deadpanned.
“Fine,” Sunset groaned. “So is that it?”
Flare pondered and then looked at Spike. “Do you have any diamonds around?”
“I should have a spare or two, why’s that?”
“To show off a little skill exclusive to my species,” Flare smirked as the dragon shrugged and left the room, returning a moment later with the bit-sized gem. Flare nodded and took it with his magic, placing it on the ground… before stomping down on it with a hoof.
When he pulled it away, the dragon and unicorn saw that his blow had reduced the gem to dust.
Sunset blinked in surprise, “You just crushed a diamond? With your bare hoof?”
“My hooves are about ten times harder,” Flare replied and showed her the hoof he used, not a single scratch on it. “Now, imagine if I actually put force behind that blow.”
“That’s… earth dragon levels of strength,” Sunset blinked in disbelief. “How can a unicorn be so strong?”
“Like I said, not entirely a unicorn,” Flare smiled, enjoying the look of utter confusion on her face. “Got a lucky hit on Luna during training once, punted her about… thirty feet. Right through a wall and into the throne room. Tia was freaking pissed,” Flare cackled, remembering that day.
“...You know Luna?” Sunset gawked at him. “You fought her and you’re still alive?”
“Yeah, Lulu’s one of my best friends,” Flare nodded. “She was the one that trained me in magic when I became a unicorn, and helped me create my unique brand of mixing magic into my attacks.” he remembered the first time he learned Twilight Nova. “That was a nice courtyard.”
Sunset narrowed her eyes, “Riiight. So you trained under Luna. No world conquest or soul sucking involved?”
Flare paused and looked at her. “What? Why the hell would that come to mind? Lulu’s very sweet and adorable. A little loud and overly enthusiastic in her training sometimes. But sucking souls?” he shook his head and snorted. “Somepony takes Nightmare Night a little too seriously.”
“You’re in a different world,” Sunset started. “Our Luna’s isn’t so sweet.”
“But she is adorable,” Spike commented, earning a glare from Sunset. He shrugged. “What? She was when you blasted her with the elements. Nightmare was more sexy than cute.”
“Yes and now she’s locked up,” Sunset snorted. “So we don’t have to deal with her again.”
“Locked up?” Flare’s eye twitched, but repeating the mantra that this was another world quelled his rising anger. “Well, that’s saddening to hear. I hope she gets better though.” This was getting to be a bit much. “So…” he wanted to change the subject and said the first thing that came to mind. “Any special someponies in your life Sunny?”
Sunset blushed and snorted, “No. Of course not. I don’t have any time for a special somepony. I have my studies to look over and some friendship letters to write… With my friends and that’s all I need.” Spike silently snickered into his hand.
“Oh gosh, you are so much like Twilight it’s scary,” Flare chuckled. “Then again, we have a daughter now. I do hope Dream Catcher isn’t causing her trouble. Then again, she’s a bit of a prankster.” At their confused look, he smiled and nodded. “Adopted daughter anyway. She’s the… how do I put it? Reincarnated? Yeah. Reincarnated Nightmare Moon.”
Sunset’s jaw dropped, “AND YOU TOOK HER IN?!!” She couldn’t help but use the Royal Canterlot Voice in her confusion. The whole house started to shake. “WHAT THE HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU?!! SHE’S A MONSTER!”
Flare had been blown back by the use of the Voice, not having expected that out of somepony that wasn’t Tia and Lulu.
“Ow…” Flare winced. “Different… worlds… remember,” he threw her own words back at her. “It was part of, the deal I made…”
Sunset snooted and turned her nose up, “Sounds like a stupid deal, if you ask me.”
“It’s a long story, but Nightmare saved my life, and helped me save all of Equestria,” Flare said and looked at Spike. “Honestly, you’re much more terrifying.”
“Nightmare saving the world? You really are from another world.” Sunset shook her head in disbelief.
“Several worlds,” Flare corrected, relishing in that disbelieving stare. “But from what I hear from Miss Pizzelle, you’ve had your own crazy adventures. And that’s not when Miss Quickfix is playing with time/space.”
“She’s going to be the death of us all one day,” Sunset grumbled.
“I like her,” Flare mused. She’d have a blast on his world with all its technology. “Aside from Bon Bon scaring the hell outta me, I really like this place.”
She hadn’t noticed it at first, but Sunset started to feel her horn itch. Some massive high-level magic was building up close by. “What the hay is going on now? Please tell me I’m just imagining that.”
“Hmm?” Flare tilted his head and then yelped in surprise as a blast of bright light came from outside, followed by what sounded like a crack of thunder. When that settled down, the stallion seemed to be missing, until Spike noticed a white unicorn clinging to the rafters like a frightened cat.
“I didn’t know you were part cat, Mr. Flare.” Spike smirked. “Should I go fetch a ladder? Maybe a broom.” He snapped his fingers. “Catnip?”
A loud thump and a pained groan informed the pair that he found his own way down. “S’all good… my back broke my fall,” he groaned.
The library door burst open and a lavender-coated unicorn walked inside, looking around and smiling when she laid eyes on Flare Blitz. “I finally found you,” she whispered.
“...What?” Sunset could only stare at the being in front of her. Her mind couldn’t process this properly. Two more hairs ‘twanged’ out from her mane. “What is that Chaotic lunatic doing here!?”
“Huh? Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “You’re… a pony?”
“Of course I’m a pony,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “What else would I be, Twilight Sparkle?”
“Oh, um… nothing?” Twilight blinked and blushed slightly as Flare got to his hooves. She smiled and nuzzled her stallion. “And you, so this is where you’ve been hiding.”
“Hey, you sent me here,’ Flare defended himself and kissed her on the forehead. “I knew you’d find me though.”
“Awww,” Spike smiled. “Some things never change. Except the boyfriend… and your sanity.. And…” He scratched his head. “I’ve lost my train of thought here.”
“Spike?” Twilight looked him over and now shared Sunset’s surprised look. “Wow… my little brother is tall here. And handsome.”
“Well I don’t like to brag...” Spike scuffed his chest with a pleased smile.
“Wait, your brother?” Sunset gawked. “He’s my little brother.”
“Oh, in my world, he’s my brother since I hatched him and all,” Twilight replied. “We talked about it for a long time. So we settled on Princess Celestia being his mother figure, and me being his sister.”
“I don’t see why that’d be an issue,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “You were probably the same age as me, a little filly. We couldn’t take care of an egg, so mom just takes care of both of us. Mom’s okay over in your world, right?”
“Mom?” Twilight tilted her head. “You mean… my mother?”
“She means Princess Celestia,” Flare corrected his wife. “Seems Sunny’s Tia’s kid here in this dimension.”
“Oh?” Twilight had a thoughtful expression on her muzzle. “Yes, Princess Celestia’s doing just fine. Well, as well as she can be after that incident with…” She trailed off, not really wanting to think about the events from a few months prior. “But yes, both her and Luna are well.”
“Well that’s good,” Sunset nodded.
“So…” Spike started. “Are you going to stay around for a bit or take off now that you’ve found your coltfriend.”
“That sounds so weird when you say it out loud,” Sunset mumbled.
“Life has been, really confusing and weird,” Twilight sighed as she was nuzzled by Flare. “So, what else is different here?”
“Quite a bit,” Flare nodded. “I’ll tell you about it all later. But, I have a question,” Flare motioned towards Sunset Shimmer. “How did you know Sunset’s name? I’ve never met her before.”
“I have,” Twilight said and then put a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, um, I mean…”
“Sparkle! Explain. As your Princess I demand to know!” Sunset Shimmer said, ignoring the fact she wasn’t actually her Princess. Small details.
“W-Well,” Twilight gulped, Sunset seemed to carry an aura akin to Celestia, thus making her answer. “I… sorta kinda met our Equestria’s version of you in another dimension. One she ran away to after… After betraying Princess Celestia.”
Sunset simply smiled and nodded. Then she sat down, causing Spike to worryingly step back. “That’s just… WHAT?!!” Her Canterlot Voice came back in full swing, right at the alicorn. Spike yelped as he was thrown off his feet and into the wall.
Twilight threw up a shield, taking the brunt of the blast. “Let me finish would you? It wasn’t so much betrayal, but rather she wouldn’t teach you dark magic, so you fled to another world. And kinda got stuck there when you were transformed into a magicless species.”
“Okay, first off.” Sunset started. “Everyone knows dark magic corrupts you. Second off, I got transformed and lost my magic? I didn’t think to, I don’t know, have a backup plan so that doesn’t happen? Am I an idiot?”
Spike went to open his mouth, but a quick glare from Sunset made him rethink that action.
“No, you certainly were not,” Twilight shook her head. “The Sunset Shimmer I met was very bright, just… ambitious. I don’t really know the whole story, as it’s between her and Celestia. But, you genuinely seemed to like where you were. The loss of magic was hard at first. But your perseverance is rather astounding and it is really weird to be talking like this to you about you.”
“Trust me, it is.” Sunset nodded. “Same as you might feel about… you. So unless she randomly pops up during your visit, which she might… she’s annoying like that, I think we can move on.”
“I don’t know how to feel about that,” Twilight shivered. “Well, we should probably get out of here anyway. Just in case we change something that wasn’t meant to be.”
“Like a paradox?” Flare blinked. What? He’d been hanging out with Time Turner lately.
“Something like that,” Twilight nodded. “While different, there are still similarities.” Twilight smiled. She stood up along with Flare. “Well, thank you for looking out for Flare. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”
“I resent that,” Flare huffed.
“Flare, knowing you, you already have half the town’s mare pining for you,” Twilight sighed.
Sunset huffed, “I don’t think he had that sort of effect.”
“He did,” Spike said, earning a slight kick from Sunset.
Twilight looked from Flare to Sunset, then back to Flare. “Oh you have got to be kidding me…”
“I’m not kidding,” Spike said. He smirked and gave Flare a nod, “He’s a natural with the ladies.”
“I know,” Twilight groaned and sighed.
“I am not,” Flare replied. “I didn’t do anything!’
“Luna. Celestia. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Sparkler…” Twilight listed off more than dozen names…
“....My mom?” Sunset was pretty calm for knowing that. “He flirted with my mom?”
“Successfully, as well as half of Equestria,” Twilight sighed. “I honestly don’t know how he does it.”
“I’m just polite,” Flare said defensively. “I’ve never flirted with anyone besides you and that one time with Rainbow when I was Discorded.”
“Yes, let’s not remember that,” Twilight said sharply.
“Discorded?” Sunset blinked in confusion. “Okay, putting aside my plans to murder you for flirting with my mom, what’s that?”
“Oh? That was when Discord escaped and started messing with ponies,” Twilight explained. “Generally, he’d reverse what makes them, well them. Loyal Rainbow Dash abandoned her friends, Laughter Pinkie became angry, Generous Rarity became selfish…” Twilight looked at Flare. “I don’t know why it was different for Flare. But the process made him think Rainbow Dash was me and well…” She blushed and looked away.
“Discord escaped?!” Sunset gawked at her. “How? He’s locked up in the strongest prison in the world? Was the security bad or…” Her eyes widened. She made a mental note to ask her mother to double the security.
“With the Elements of Harmony not tied to Luna and Celestia anymore, his seal weakened,” Twilight explained. “But we reformed him, offered him one thing he didn’t have as a Tyrant... Friendship~”
“I am amazed that works as often as it does,” Flare said with a small shake of his head. “I’m just glad he was good when Darkrai attacked. He didn’t help, but he didn’t hinder either.”
Sunset rubbed her forehead, “Discord being good isn’t something I thought was possible. From the stories my mother would tell me, he was a complete monster. Well, I inferred that though she likes to go ‘there is good in everyone’ and all that. Still doubt it would work for ours.”
“Perhaps not, but it’s something to consider,” Twilight nodded as Flare poked her with a hoof.
“Hey, what happened to ‘Not interfering’?”
“Oh horseapples,” Twilight swore and looked at Sunset. “Forget I said anything. Um, maybe a memory wipe spell?”
“Aaaand we are not wiping memories,” Flare said and poked her horn. “Remember that last time you tried that? You made Celestia think she was a six year old foal…”
Twilight chuckled sheepishly.
Sunset face-hooved, “That… just… I’m done. This is all just so out there. Not doubting you, but this is definitely one of the strangest encounters I’ve ever had.”
“We have weird lives… and that’s not including the Swap—” Flare was muffled as Twilight sealed his lips with magic.
“We. Are not. Talking. About. The Swap!” she said very slowly and carefully. “Ever!” If that happened here… Oh she felt very bad for Sunset right now. “Now, let’s get out of their manes and not spoil the future for them.”
Flare just gave a muffled response and a salute.
Spike sighed, “Fiddlesticks isn’t going to like this. New ponies in town and she hasn’t thrown a party for them.”
Sunset groaned, “She’s going to bug me to find a way to your world so she can.”
“Only if Pinkie Pie can help,” Twilight giggled. “And she’d find a way too. That mare baffles me.”
“She baffles everypony,” Flare said as Twilight’s horn started to glow. “Well, it’s been fun. Spike, Sunbutt.”
Spike nodded his head. He was a little sad to see the stallion go. He’d make a Legendary wingpony for picking up mares.
Sunset knew she’d have a headache to deal with later. And with a loud crack and a flash of light, the strange pair was gone.
“So…” Spike said as he looked at the scorched floor. “Now what?”
“I’m going to go get some pain medicine and read a book,” Sunset mumbled and headed on upstairs. “And wait for the next strange thing to happen to me.”
That came in the form of a letter from her mother, Princess Celestia.
My dear Sunset
I have no idea what's going on in Ponyville, but 'nopony' has touched me like that in years. Whomever it was, hold them there until I get there.
Love, Celestia.
"…I'm so utterly bucking done. You deal with this," Sunset groaned and threw Spike the letter. "I hate Tuesdays..."
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So Baconhead and Pokecorn meet. Interesting
And now Celestia wants to bang him. Goddamn I need to read the fic that this guy came from.
Aw, I wanted to do a Pokemon/Shimmerverse crossover.
Aw well.
Let's just be glad Bon Bon didn't meet Solgaleo, that would really be hectic
Wait a minute the Flare that we know was there on the Cutie Mark Mix-up but was here during Equestria Girls but why Twilight is still a Unicorn?!
Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Once again, great job on the exchanges, emotional content, humor, action and wrap-up in all the right places. Not much more I can say (beyond the stuff the other reviewers already said), but I'm still looking forward to more stories in this series as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
Oh, and if this comes multi-posted, I profusely apologize. I had a heck of a time getting this response through.
I can't believe I missed this chapter.