The Element of Willpower

by Redwolf15

Chapter Twenty-three: Link Story: Flex

Chapter Twenty-three:
Link Story: Flex

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You think you know me. You don't.

You think that I don't know what is happening. I do.

You think I'm some simple creature. I'm not.

I have never gone by a name, not since meeting the human. I am now known as Flex, I don't know why, but I like it. I've never had a name before. Most would think that I only understand a little, that if others are worried then I should be worried too. But I know everything.

I know what is happening. I know who is responsible. And I know what he can do. After all, I was around at the peek of his rule. I have gone through many cycles, and I have seen many things. I have witnessed the arrival of ponies to our lands, claiming it for their own. I have seen the tyranny of the Mad King Discord, and the dissaray he put his subjects through. I have seen him overthrown by two ponies and lead these lands into a time of peace. I was even around for the birthing and banishment of the Night pony. I have seen everything.

I won't bother with detail, all I will say is the basic of our situation. The Mad King is once again free and in power, a union of multiple species have banned together to stop him. I am here to support my... my friend. It's funny, I've never had much in my long life that I could be proud for. But for the first time in over five millennias, I have others to turn to.

There is the knight, Shining Armor, he is careful and collective. A suited leader and admirable figure to look up to. The griffin Sharla, separated from her family with her younger brother. She's caring and nice, but can wield an axe like a true griffin, like the fierce sky warriors four thousand years ago. But she hides something, something she's not comfortable with others knowing. The bird-creature Flora, she's a mystery, in my long life I have never come across anything like her. Not to mention her "amazing" personality. Then there are the children, Shantze, the brother to Sharla, and Light Flicker, an orphan who's parents were taken from her. I play with them quite a bit, they make me happy. I rather like children and have always hoped to meet a mate and father my own. But I fear that may never happen, our species is few and dwindling, finding a female would prove more challenging than one would think. Yes we have the power to be born again from our ashes, but not all choose to, after living for so long, your only wish is to stop living. I thought that I would end my cycle, but then I saw him.

I was old, weak, and cornered. Surrounded by timberwolves that were ready to devour me. And as I was about to give in, let death have me permanently, I saw somthing, something new and different. And I called for him, many don't know it, but phoenixes have a psychic power. Just small range telepathy, only enough to give the targets mind a push. I called for him, and he came. I did not know what this thing was, I have never seen it before. And when I looked at it, I saw determiniation, and that determination passed on into me. I wanted to live.

He saved my life, and when I made another cycle, I returned the favor. And I stayed with him. He was a human, an alien, but most importantly, a friend. He gave me my name, I could have asked for no more, and I have followed him ever since then.

Now I fight with him, this buisness with the Mad King would not concern me, but it concerns him. I fly, my touch burns every demon spawn created by Discord, they turn to smoke and drift off. Another fact many don't know about us phoenix, regular fire is hot, dragon's fire is one hundred times worse, our fire is a thousand times worse than a dragon's. If we want it to be.

A shame these things do not burn like everything else, I would enjoy dancing through their ashes. Do not take me for some sort of psycho, but ash to me is like snow for ponies. I find it beautiful and fun, it's a phoenix thing.

"Quickly, this way! We can get to the castle!" The leader of the griffins calls out. He points to an opening in the great sea of Lessers. I dive with the mass of them, smoke trailing behind me. The harpy thing, Flora, groups with us as we fly through.

"Where's Jesse?" She asks Sharla noticing that he's not on her backside. She doesn't asnwer, she just hold pain and regret in her eyes. My heart sinks.

"No! That can't be true! Tell me that is not true!" I cry to her. She does not understand me, none of them do. But that does not stop me from shrieking at her. My anger gets the better of me and I break away from them. I dive down, in hopes that I am wrong. But I should not believe myself, I have lived long enough to know the truth. But to accept it without proof, I shall have none of that!

I scour the land, searching for any sign. But there is none.

No Lesser bothers with me, they think me to be less intelligent than they are, how wrong they are. I spot something in the dense trees, a hole at the top of the roof they make. I investigate the spot and find many odd things about it. Branches are snapped and broken. Something fell, something very large fell. But that's not what's odd, the fact that there is nothing around at the bottom that looks like it was able to make such an impact. Nothing at all.

I notice track marks, track marks that brings my spirit back up. They resemble the same kind as Jesse's. I follow the marks, and I see that his are not the only marks around. Another six or so prints are left, none of them matched. He survived, but he was being chased. Even more odd, he should have been able to dispatch of them quickly, I grow more unneasy. Something seems wrong, and then things get even more confusing.

A new set of tracks come into play, and they are matching. They look to be a pony's, and the tracks of the Lessers just stop. They must have been dealt with, but Jesse's tracks have also vanished, the only ones left are the pony's. What happened here?

I hear a cry, far off, and I recognize it. Light Flicker!

I fly in the direction of the cry, those damn fools! What have they gotten into? I weeve between trees, flapping my wings hard. I pray that I'm not too late. And my prayers are answered.

I come out of the forest to find the kids and that young dragon from town. And they're being attacked by a Lesser! My rage boils as it looks like it's about to devour them. I drape my body in fire and my speed increases. I charge towards the Lesser's back side, as I come closer I fold my wings in. I don't tackle it, I tear right through the monster, bursting through the other side of its chest. The rest is history.

I stop the fire that wraps my body, and fly to the kids.I can tell you one thing: I am not happy. "What do you think you're doing? You should be back at the town where it's safe! This is no place for children!" I would nag at them more if my eye didn't catch something. Shantze holds a sword, one that is far to big for him to be holding. Something that does not belong to him. "Where did you get that?" I ask, my anger for them now replaced with worry. That is Jess'es sword. Why does the child have it?

They may not know what I'm saying, not that doesn't mean they don't understand me. "The sword?" Shantze asks seeing that I've noticed that he has it. "It fell from the sky. We saw Jesse fall, and his sword was knocked away from him. So we were going to return it to him."

They're young, they don't understand the concept of death. Except the filly, she knows it too well. I fly a bit over their heads, motioning to the forests. True, he's probably dead, but I hope with every fiber in my body that he's not. He can't be, I saw the evidence... I hope.

I'm about to lead them into the forest so we can find Jesse, if we can find the tracks again we can follow them. And hopefully we'll find him at the end of those tracks. But before we can start our search, a blood thirsty cry is sounded above us. Down from the sky drops six Lessers. The kids all scream in fear as they surround us. I fly in front of them, shielding them from the horrors. The monsters circle us, slowly. They're a mix and match of different creatures. But not like the manticore; these are worse, far, far worse.

I look around, I can take them. But what about the kids? I can't fight and protect at the same time. No matter what senario I think up, it ends bad for the kids. If I'm able to provoke them all I may be able to guide the Lessers away from kids, but how long could that take? I haven't a clue.

I wish... Oh how I wish a miracle will happen.

Author's Note:

Okay, I realize this is a short chapter. But don't worry, things are going to pick up soon enough.

Comments

[Redwolf15]

Who missed me?

[Grahf]

i missed you, this is a really good story and i was was worried it wouldn't start back up

[Flux Nosdal]

Can't wait till the next chapter.

[kragor]

2011319

I missed yoooooou!

Can't wait for moar!

[light snow]

I love flex.