Rise of Char

by Turtlehaus

Chapter 8: Impressionable Stories

Fluttershy was hiding behind a small boulder. Carefully peeking out from behind the rock, she saw a rather well carved and marbled built building where the sign, 'Phoenix School House' was chiseled across the archway. Still believing Wingston's explanation that the school's foals and fillies still had their teacher, Ember Tutor, held for ransom somewhere inside; Fluttershy wasn't in a hurry to knock on the door. Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy thought about how every pony was eager and willing to help out here in the Ashen Fields. she decided that she had to at least try. Cautiously approaching the door, pushing the small boulder in front of her as a buffer to protect her, Fluttershy very quietly knocked on the door; lightly.

It took several more tries of lightly tapping on the door before Fluttershy noticed the stone door start to open. Fluttershy ducked behind the boulder expecting the worse, covering her face with her hooves and shaking nervously.

"Hello?" A young foal's voice asked aloud.

"Hi." Fluttershy squeaked from behind the boulder.

"Are you talking?" The young foal's voice asked.

"No... maybe..." Fluttershy whispered.

"What do you want, boulder?" The young foal asked curiously.

"Is... Mr. Tutor here?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Mr. Tutor! There's a talking boulder here to see you!" The young foal shouted out loud.

Fluttershy slowly peaked over the boulder, the young foal was gone and now standing at the door was a young colt named Ember Tutor looking rather strangely at her. His hide was a dark brown, his flames were a dark amber, his cutie mark depicted a stone pillar with a shield leaning against it.

"Can I... help you?" Tutor asked slowly.

"Hi." Fluttershy said softly.

"Hello." Tutor replied.

There was a long silence between them, Fluttershy was still standing behind the boulder and nervously hiding her face behind her mane.

"Was there something you needed?" Tutor asked after a while looking rather confused.

"I was asked… to save you…" Fluttershy explained quietly.

"Save me?" Tutor asked looking puzzled.

"From the out of control fillies and foals that have taken you hostage." Fluttershy added.

"Who sent you?" Tutor asked curiously.

"Wingston." Fluttershy replied softly.

"Well that explains a lot." Tutor said shaking his head with a small smile.

"It does?" Fluttershy asked sounding surprised.

"Am I correct in saying that you are Ms. Fluttershy?" Tutor asked.

"Yes." Fluttershy replied.

"It's very nice to finally meet you, Ms. Fluttershy. I'm Ember Tutor, the teacher for these foals and fillies. I believe Wingston may have exaggerated the reason for your being here." Tutor said stepping aside to allow her to come inside.

"So you're not being held hostage?" Fluttershy asked curiously stepping around the boulder.

"By Celestia, no. I merely requested a pony that can help educate our students on the wildlife outside the Ashen Fields." Tutor explained closing the stone door behind her.

Fluttershy was pleasantly surprised to see twelve little foals and fillies sitting at stone desks, well behaved and not trying to open a portal to the Void. The classroom was well equipped with chalk boards, stone tablets, charcoal, etchings of letters and numbers. It looked like a normal classroom, except that everything seemed to be fire proof.

Needless to say, Fluttershy was feeling much better about the whole situation and thought about having a talk to Wingston about exaggerating his stories. Tutor motioned for Fluttershy to follow him to the front of the class, she did so as every little foal and filly watched her intensely.

"Alright every pony, we have a special guest with us today. I would like you all to say hello to Ms. Fluttershy." Tutor announced to the class.

"Hello." Every foal and filly said together aloud.

"Hi." Fluttershy said softly.

"I'd like every pony to finish their writing exercise before we move onto our next lesson." Tutor said as every pony looked back down at their desks and began writing on their stone tablets.

"Every pony is so well behaved and not trying to hold any pony hostage." Fluttershy remarked with a sigh of relief.

"Yes well they may get a little restless at times but it's nothing I can't handle." Tutor said reassuringly.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing. Wingston had said I needed to negotiate your release and regain control of the school." Fluttershy confessed to him.

"Wingston had informed me that you are the best pony to turn to when it comes to animals." Tutor stated.

"Well, maybe not the best pony. I'm sure there are other ponies that are just as good if not better. It's really nice of him to say that though." Fluttershy replied nervously.

"Since our foals and fillies are going to be able to leave the Ashen Fields, I wanted them to get an understanding of the creatures they might meet beyond our borders. How to or not to interact with certain animals." Tutor explained to her.

"You mean like little rabbits? Or maybe little squirrels? Or humming birds? Butterflies? Birds?" Fluttershy asked looking excited to talk about all of her woodland friends.

"You can talk about any animals you want, Ms. Fluttershy. As long as these foals and fillies know what to do if they ever come across any of these creatures. We want to minimize any harm that they might cause to themselves or others." Tutor explained further.

"What if they don't like the way I talk about the animals though? What if they want some other pony to teach them? What if they end up getting hurt because I didn't explain it well enough?" Fluttershy asked quickly.

"Ms. Fluttershy, these little Flame Ponies have never seen any of the animals you are about to describe to them. I'm sure this is the first time any of them have seen a color other than black, grey, or red. They will be more then excited to hear from you, I assure you." Tutor said comfortingly.

It wasn't long before all the Flame Pony students finished their writing exercise and eagerly awaited their next lesson. Fluttershy took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves as Tutor addressed the class once more.

"Alright every pony, Ms. Fluttershy is going to be speaking to about the animals you may encounter outside our borders. If you have any questions for her, please raise your hoof and be polite about it. I'm looking at you, Lionel." Tutor said eyeing a small foal sitting near the back of the class.

Tutor turned to Fluttershy, nodding to her that she was in control of the class now. Fluttershy turned to face every pony; surprisingly she saw every foal or filly as a small Smolder. This allowed Fluttershy to find a comfortable place to speak from and smiled to every pony.

"Hello, I'm Fluttershy and I'm here today to talk to you about animals." Fluttershy said in a normal register.

Every pony's hoof shot up into the air, some very determined to get her attention as they flailed they're arms back and forth.

"Um, okay, the pony sitting in the front row?" Fluttershy asked pointing to the little filly.

"How high can a crocodile climb a tree?" The filly asked curiously.

"I've never known a crocodile to climb trees before; they mostly just swim in the water or crawl on the land." Fluttershy replied.

Every pony's hoof shot up again as Fluttershy looked around for another pony to call on.

"The pony in the third row, with the red flame." Fluttershy said pointing to him.

"Are rabbits really as big as owl bears and come to eat you in the middle of the night during a full moon?" The foal asked.

There was a long silence from Fluttershy who stared rather blankly at the small foal.

"No." Fluttershy said flatly.

A filly in back of the room nearly fell out of her seat trying to stretch her hoof as high as it could go.

"The very excited pony in the back." Fluttershy said looking her way.

"Are all butterflies the same color?" The filly asked, climbing back into her seat.

"Oh no, there are many different colors to a butterfly. I don't think I have ever seen a butterfly with quite the same color or pattern on its wings before." Fluttershy replied.

"Are dragons really mean?" A foal in the front row blurted out.

"Raise your hoof, Geoff." Tutor informed him.

"Actually, I know a really friendly baby dragon named Spike, he's helping out back at the castle. I've met some pretty nice dragons and some not so nice ones." Fluttershy explained to them.

All the hooves shot up again. Fluttershy looked around the room to see the pony named Lionel standing up in his seat to get her attention.

"The little flame pony named Lionel." Fluttershy said pointing to him.

"Have you ever seen the Oblivion Pony?" Lionel asked excitedly.

"Lionel!" Tutor shouted looking rather sternly at him.

"Oblivion Pony?" Fluttershy asked looking confused.

"It's just an old Flame Pony legend." Tutor explained eyeing Lionel to behave himself.

"I've never heard of the Oblivion Pony before." Fluttershy said looking rather curious.

"Every foal and filly knows about the Oblivion Pony!" Shouted one of the students.

"He's the scariest pony ever!" Shouted another pony.

"Alright! That's enough every pony! We're here to learn about real animals and not made ups ponies from old stories." Tutor said aloud looking around the room.

"Scariest… pony… ever?" Fluttershy asked slowly, beginning to shake a little.

"The Mad King could have beaten him!" Said one of the students.

"The Oblivion Pony would have totally whooped his flank!" Stated another pony.

"Is the Oblivion Pony really that bad?" Fluttershy asked looking at Tutor nervously.

"Can I tell her the story, Mr. Tutor?" Lionel asked excitedly.

There was an up roar of approval from every foal and filly in the class. Tutor slammed his hoof down on his desk that immediately made every pony jump; along with Fluttershy. Every pony fell quiet as Tutor wore a frown on his face.

"If Ms. Fluttershy wants to hear the story, you may tell it Lionel, but whether she does or not, you must behave yourself or I'll sit you outside." Tutor warned him.

Fluttershy watched every foal and filly look to her pleadingly, hoping that she was going to say yes to the story. Nodding yes, every pony turned around to Lionel who stood atop his desk and started to weave the tale of the Oblivion Pony.

"It has gone by many names, some call it the Death Pony, others call it the Reaper Pony, but we know it as the Oblivion Pony. Legend tells of a lost Flame Pony trapped between worlds, alone in oblivion, unable to return to Equestria but for a single night. Ponies tell that when the Blue Moon rises, the Oblivion Pony returns to Equestria looking for lonely ponies to take back to the realm of Nothingness. Some say its mane dances with the souls of all the ponies its claimed, some say you can hear the whispers on the wind of the souls begging to be set free. So surround yourself with friends during the night of the Blue Moon or be dragged into the Nothingness that is the Oblivion Pony!" Lionel shouted rearing back on his hind legs to exclaim it as loud as he could.

Lionel took many bows from the applause his classmates gave him. Tutor rolled his eyes at the flare Lionel put into the story, glancing over towards Fluttershy who had vanished from the spot. Every pony suddenly realized the disappearance of Fluttershy, looking around the room trying to find where she had gone. There was a sudden trembling from underneath Tutor's desk, glancing underneath it, Tutor found Fluttershy hiding her face and trembling.

"Ms. Fluttershy, the Oblivion Pony is the oldest ghost story we tell to scare young foals and fillies on Nightmare Night. It was meant to keep them from wandering the Dark Marsh. There is no such pony." Tutor said sympathetically.

"A-A-Are you s-s-sure?" Fluttershy stammered.

"Of course, the students have more questions if you're feeling up to the task." Tutor replied.

"Come on, Ms. Fluttershy! I want to know how bees make honey!" Shouted a pony.

"Yeah! And how birds learn how to sing!" Exclaimed another pony.

Fluttershy felt a wave of courage wash over her at the sound of the students eagerly wanting to learn more. Slowly but surely Fluttershy reappeared from behind the desk to be greeted with the excited cheers of the students.

"Okay then, who wants to go next?" Fluttershy asked watching hoofs shoot up into the air again.

---

The western part of the Ashen Fields had been devoted solely to farming, or at least that it was Tiff Pitchstone had tried to make of it. The soil had been dry for so many years that it took several weeks of Flame Ponies lugging buckets of water from the neighboring river near Ponyville to re-hydrate the land. It took another month to till the land, border off sections of the fields, and clear debris for the farmland. It was only until recently that Tiff was actually able to plant anything, having used one sixteenth of the overall land allotted to him. There simply was not enough pony power to have countless Flame Ponies lug water every day to water the entire farmland, thus Tiff decided to utilize a small area with the help he did have. It was clear by Tiff's anxious resolves that he was becoming extremely desperate for solutions, but his hopes had risen now that Applejack was here to provide him with possible solutions.

Applejack was always more than willing to help a fellow pony out where she could, especially when it dealt with farming, but apple trees were her specialty. From what she could see by the lay of the land, the Flame Ponies were not trying to grow apples.

"What's with all the little metal sticks coming out of the ground over there?" Applejack asked curiously pointing her hoof towards row of crops.

"They're essentially our version of gardening sticks; we're not able to use wood so we improvised." Tiff explained with a sense of pride in his voice.

"What are you trying to grow with those?" Applejack asked seeming interested.

"Grapes." Tiff replied.

"Say what now?" Applejack asked looking surprised.

"Vitis, otherwise known as grapevines, thrive very well near volcanoes. It is one of the very few things we are able to grow here at the moment; besides coffee trees." Tiff explained motioning towards the mountain.

"Are coffee trees anything like apple trees?" Applejack asked curiously.

"Not in the slightest, they only grow to be shrubs. Significantly smaller than your average apple tree." Tiff said measuring the approximate size of the shrub with his hooves for her to see.

"Well, I got to say I don't feel like I'm going to be of much use to you." Applejack said apologetically.

"Perish the thought, Applejack. Having such an established Apple Farmer here is more than I could have hoped for." Tiff said with a smile.

"Wouldn't it have been better to have a pony that specializes in coffee trees or grapes though?" Applejack asked sounding out of place.

"Our issue isn't growing the crops. It's creating an irrigation system that will provide the fields with enough water for a large scale plantation." Tiff said pointing to the dry trenches slicing up and down the fields.

"Have you tried asking Cloudsdale for some rain?" Applejack asked taking the first idea that popped into her head.

"Do you ask Cloudsdale for rain?" Tiff asked sounding rather surprised.

"Well no, we get rain every now and again but we've never scheduled it." Applejack replied thinking about it.

"Which is exactly our problem. The rain would be a big help to us, but without a natural way of keeping our crops watered we would need Cloudsdale every day." Tiff explained sounding solemn.

"That does pose quite a dilemma." Applejack concurred.

"I was hoping you could apply your techniques you use on your farm to what we have here and see if we can't come up with something similar?" Tiff asked looking hopeful.

"Well Sweet Apple Acres has a river running through it, giving us all the water we could possibly need, but it seems like you ponies are not too keen on having water around these parts." Applejack said looking around.

"It's true that water and Flame Ponies to mix very well but many years ago we had quite the plantation thriving in these fields. I'm hoping to at least bring back, even if it is just a fraction, of the crops we once had." Tiff said looking even more hopeful.

"You're really invested in this aren't you?" Applejack asked looking rather impressed with Tiff's passion for farming.

"My father was the one who taught me everything there was to know about farming." Tiff stated proudly.

"Having seen what this place looked like a couple months ago, I can honestly say that I'm blown away on how much you've accomplished in such a short time. I'm sure your pa is just as proud." Applejack said reassuringly.

"I do hope so, Applejack." Tiff said with a sigh.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Applejack asked curiously.

"My father passed away a few years ago. Leaving me as the only Flame Pony in the Ashen Fields with any kind of knowledge about planting and growing crops. He was the one who had kept the Ashen Fields green before the Madness of the King, and it was his dream to see this barren wasteland back to a lush green field of plants and crops." Tiff said scooping up some soil with his hoof.

Applejack watched the moist dirt dry in his hoof, tipping it to the side as it trailed back to the ground in a drier state.

"Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't know that your pa wasn't in the picture anymore." Applejack said sympathetically removing her hat.

"No need to apologize, Applejack. I'm just very grateful to have a pony with such experience tell me that my father's teachings are something to be admired." Tiff said reassuringly to her.

Applejack still felt a bit crumby bringing up such a difficult subject, even if it was unintentional; it's not easy having to look back on the ponies you've lost. It was around this time that Applejack realized something that Tiff had said a few moments ago.

"Tiff, you said something about bringing these here fields back to a lush green again, right?" Applejack asked as her train of thought started to pick up speed.

"Yes, my father used to tell how the fields used to be covered from end to end in a sea of green." Tiff replied pointing from one end of the field to the other.

"What we're looking at here is only part of the picture. You got everything you need to start growing plants except for water. Yet your pa didn't have that problem, it was green all over." Applejack said starting to trot around the field; her eyes scanning the ground.

"I'm sorry, Applejack. I don't really seem to follow, and have you lost something?" Tiff asked curiously trotting after her.

"No, it's you who has lost something." Applejack replied moving further towards the edge of the fields.

"Me?" Tiff asked looking bewildered.

"The Ashen Fields, every Flame Pony here, and yes even you." Applejack said sliding down into a large ditch.

"What are we missing?" Tiff asked curiously looking down into the ditch.

"A river." Applejack said tapping her hoof on the ground.

Tiff's eyes followed the edge of the ditch all the way down towards the south end of the fields and followed it back up towards the north. The ditch was unusually long and did seem out place.

"I'm guessing the ash had filled this in a long time ago and after your clean up the Flame Ponies must have thought that this here dried up river was a road or something." Applejack explained.

Applejack watched the excitement swell into Tiff's face, but just as soon as it came it faded.

"It's like you said Applejack, the river is dried up." Tiff said sadly; realizing the dilemma still remained.

"What caused the river to dry up?" Applejack asked curiously.

"Lack of water?" Tiff asked looking unsure.

"It's pretty strange for a river to dry up in just a couple of years without there being some major climate change." Applejack said looking towards the north.

"What are you saying?" Tiff asked looking towards the north along with her.

"I think that the Mad King might have had the river dammed up to prevent it from being used against him. If it turns out that I'm right and there is a dam somewhere north of here…" Applejack trailed off rubbing her chin with her hoof.

"Then there is a chance we can have water flowing back into the Ashen Fields!" Tiff exclaimed, his excitement booming once more.

"That's what I'm thinking." Applejack said watching Tiff suddenly take off towards the mountain range.

"Come along, Applejack! We have ourselves a dam to undo!" Tiff shouted galloping away.

"Wait for me partner!" Applejack shouted back taking off after him.

It wasn't long before Tiff had become winded from running his heart out, Applejack easily caught up with him and graciously decided to walk with him the rest of the way without leaving him in the dust. The dried up riverbed cut through a small canyon near the base of the mountain, Tiff bravely offered to go first to ensure Applejack's safety but Applejack was having none of that and lead the way herself.

The passage had become narrower and narrower the further they headed in. The ground itself was becoming less and less dry, while the moisture in the air was giving Applejack more confidence that her idea of dam was just around the next bend. Sure enough, Applejack and Tiff found a turn in the canyon where they discovered their dam. Several large pieces of rusted metal jutted out from the ground, while large pieces of rusted sheets of metal were laid sideways to layer the walls of the dam. It was nearly three stories high and the sounds of water could be heard just on the other side.

"Looks like I was right after all." Applejack said tipping her hat to the dam.

"Applejack, I could kiss you right now." Tiff said excitedly, walking up to the dam and touching it with his hoof.

"I'd kindly ask you to resist that urge." Applejack replied.

"Right then! How do we unclog this thing?" Tiff asked aloud giving it the once over.

"It seems like it's still holding strong, no leaks or stress marks in the steel. Just a lot of rust." Applejack said giving it a look herself.

"That's Flame Pony steel for you, wonderful welding and craftsmanship. Even it was for such an evil purpose." Tiff replied looking over at the rock face near them.

Motioning for Applejack to follow him, Tiff started to scale the side of the canyon to the ledge up above. Luckily there was plenty of sure footing to be had, and the two reached the top in no time flat. A large river of water was being held back from behind the dam, it kept stretching on for miles and miles before earning a long drawn out whistle from Applejack. Tiff slowly approached the river; Applejack watched in surprise as Tiff reached down and dipped his hoof in it. The water hissed at his touch, with a painful gasp Tiff withdrew his hoof quickly; backing away with a surprised smile.

"Why'd you go and stick your hoof in the water, Tiff? You got a screw loose or something?" Applejack asked quickly stepping over next to him.

"This is the river that helped my father make the Ashen Fields green. It's the same river where he met my mother making faces in the reflection of the water. It will be the same river that will help us have a green Kingdom once more." Tiff said rubbing his hoof looking longingly at the water.

Applejack couldn't help but sympathize with him. It would like having Sweet Apple Acres a barren waste land for years on end, listening to stories of what it used to be like, and finally having the chance to make those stories become a reality. In a Kingdom where everything seemed bland and colorless, Applejack could see how much hope this water had given him at making his dreams a reality again.

"Thank you, Applejack." Tiff said with a sigh of relief.

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to get this dam undone somehow." Applejack said fixing her hat.

"That you can leave to me." Tiff said getting to his hooves and flaring his mane.

"What are you going to do?" Applejack asked looking rather skeptical.

"I will super heat the metal near the bottom of the dam, weakening its structural integrity, and the pressure from the water will do the rest." Tiff explained pointing back towards the bottom.

"That's going to put you right in harm's way of having that river of water coming crashing down on you." Applejack remarked shaking her head in disagreement.

Tiff did not stop to listen to her, having already leaped down the rock face in record time. Applejack was quick to follow him, reaching the bottom of the riverbed where Tiff was already blasting fire at the base of the dam.

"Tiff! This is insane! You can get really hurt or worse trying to do this! We can come back with more ponies to help remove this dam carefully and safely!" Applejack shouted over the roar of his fire.

"I won't have any pony do something I wasn't willing to do myself, Applejack. There's been a lot of talk among every Flame Pony if the Ashen Fields will ever bounce back, and I know once they see an explosion of water come surging from the mountain, it will change their minds real quick!" Tiff replied spewing more fire at the base.

In between a breath, Tiff leaned back to spew another wave of fire, but found that Applejack had stepped in front of him; blocking him from breathing fire at the dam.

"One side, Applejack." Tiff said trying to step around her but Applejack mirrored him.

"You're getting too far ahead of yourself, Tiff. This here water isn't going anywhere, if you release this water in one go it's going wipe out more than half your crops you spent so much time trying to build in the first place." Applejack said defiantly.

"But Applejack-" Tiff began but Applejack cut him off.

"You can't rush this, not anymore then you can rush a plant into growing. You're thinking about what's at the end and not thinking about how you're going to get there. As an experienced Apple Farmer, I've given you my thoughts and ideas on what you should do. Now I'm telling you, as a friend, this can wait." Applejack said, almost pleading with him.

Tiff glanced over Applejack's shoulder at the dam behind her. The metal was searing from the first couple of blasts of his fire, but his eyes met Applejack's again; realizing she was right. Taking a deep breath, Tiff's mane stopped flaring and receded back to its normal simmer. Letting out a loud sigh, Tiff hung his head for a moment before lifting it again; wearing a smile.

"You're right, Applejack." Tiff said nodding his head.

Taking a few steps back, Tiff put some room between them to let Applejack know he was being honest with her, and that he wasn't going to be blasting anymore fire. Applejack stepped forward, smiling at him encouragingly and steering him back down the canyon.

"I'm glad you saw it my way, partner." Applejack replied sounding relieved.

"My father's stories about how beautiful these fields used be, how I envision it in my head; I could even smell the grass. Having to hear all of the doubts from other Flame Ponies that we'll never get back to way things were and recover what we've lost fills me with such anxiousness. I want them to see what I've always known all along, but I guess I don't have the patience my father had." Tiff said apologetically.

"One day every Flame Pony is going to see just how beautiful these fields truly are, and until then your Dad is going to be watching you get it there one day at a time." Applejack said encouragingly.

"Thank you, Applejack. I could not have asked for a better friend." Tiff said appreciatively.

"There you go thanking me again; we still have a lot of work to do, partner." Applejack stated.

The two ponies walked together through the canyon, the light of Tiff's flame throwing their shadows against the wall.

"You're welcome, though." Applejack said with a smile.

Comments

[TheOPcharacterWriter]

Other then seeing Ancalagon the Black in the cover art...this story is nice and good to read but hey,I just started

[Turtlehaus]

8348329
I'm so happy you recognized Ancalagon. I'm a fan of Tolkien's work, and the ambiguity from the title of this story 'Rise of Char' will lend credence to the cover art; as it best represents events to come. Although, I am not implying a crossover between the two, I just found Anaclagon to best depict the sort of Elder Dragon I had envisioned.

I'm also very appreciative of your kind words, and I hope that you will find the rest of the story interesting as it unfolds. Thank you for taking the time to read it, and commenting. It really does make my day just to know someone took the time to read it.

[Meynbuhdei]

Not usually one to comment on stories, but this one is really good for not having the attention most others have on this site. I'm assuming it's cause this story was posted elsewhere before. Nevertheless I'm enjoying the second story a lot right now

[Turtlehaus]

8413489
I'm very grateful that you're enjoying the story thus far. I believe a lot of stories deserve the attention that they receive, and the attention these stories do get are from very generous readers. Thank you for your comment; it really made my day.