Ch.10 Running on a Pyre..."Wow. Talk about Stretches."
Autumn sat in an open field, Treehugger's wagon and the afternoon sun behind her as she took in the view. Tall rolling hills dotted the distant landscape while maple trees staked claim to the field in small random clusters. Her traveler's heart beat a steady rhythm in the face of the natural majesty of it all. Though that changed a bit whenever she saw a large golden fox dash about amongst the trees.
She felt her cheeks warm when she saw his powerful legs rocket him through the wilds like a shooting star, the shine of the sun bouncing off his coat adding to the comparison. The wide smile plastered across his face warmed her heart in a way that she wasn't entirely familiar with. A feeling that grew as she remembered what he had went through prier to meeting her.
"Nice view, right?" Treehugger asked taking a seat at Autumn's right.
"Y-Yeah," Autumn stammered, eyes wandering to any space Alex wasn't currently in in the distance.
Treehugger gave her a small knowing smile before saying, "A bit for your thoughts soul sister?"
Autumn gulped, but otherwise remained silent. Treehugger chuckled softly then watched her other travel companion bob and weave through a line of trees.
"He has a lot of spirit," the Earth Pony smiled. "More now that his chakras aren't as choked up."
"Yeah," Autumn sighed, then leveled a smile at her as she added, "I guess I've got you to thank for that, huh?"
Treehugger slowly shook her head and said, "All I did was help him get rid of the poison in his heart. The healing came from somepony else."
As she said that, her knowing smile grew a little. Autumn's previous blush came back with a vengeance as Treehugger's implications took root in her.
"I-I-I didn't do all that much," she stammered, eyes fixed onto the grass at her hooves. "We just talked and had a few drinks. Nothing special about that."
"It was special for him," she smiled, spying on the blushing Kirin out the corner of her eye as she watched Alex run. "Now his aura is burning brighter then it was the day we met. All the warm vibes you've been giving him has been a big help soul sister."
"I-If you say so," Autumn stammered.
Treehugger's sage smile turned mischievous as she added, "Mates come in unexpected forms, don't they?"
The Kirin's brain short circuited at that, a small stream of steam coming off of the tip of her horn as the doe made a sound not dissimilar to a kettle coming to a boil.
***
My heart pounded in my chest as I bolted past another cluster of trees. After hours of just lying around, it felt fucking awesome to get to move around for a bit. So when Treehugger pulled over to catch her breath, I practically tackled the door down. I don't know if it was an instinct thing or what, but it just felt so good to run. The feel of the air shooting through my fur, the grass under my paws, the sun warming my back, it was all so awesome!
It was also the first time I really took my new body through its paces. Yeah, learning how to use Iron Tail took a lot out of me, but that was more of an energy drain; not so much a physical drain. One of the things I noticed was that my new body had some real speed and stamina in it. I'd managed to run across the huge field Treehugger parked us in a couple dozen times for what felt like twenty minutes straight and I was barely even winded.
I slowed myself down to what passed for a power walk for me, laughing like an idiot as I made my way towards Autumn and Treehugger. My smile fell when I gave them a good look over. Treehugger was looking kind of smug about something while Autumn looked like her mom just pulled out the photo album.
"Enjoy your run?" Treehugger asked, still looking smug.
"Uh, yeah," I frowned, giving Autumn a worried glance. "Is she okay?"
Treehugger nodded.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Her horn's steaming."
"Y-Y-Yeah," Autumn squeaked, cleared her throat, then gave me a shaky smile as she said, "I-It's just something that happens sometimes. Don't worry about it."
I raised a brow at that and said,"Okay?"
Kirin are weird.
Super cute though.
Okay brain! Get in the corner! Now!
You can't deny me forever.
Watch me bitch!
"So, when are we heading out?" I asked.
I swear Treehugger's eyes sparkled a bit when she said, "Tomorrow morning."
"Huh?" Autumn and I both gaped.
"Half the point of traveling is to enjoy the trip," she giggled. "Enjoy the glow of nature while we can before we run into town."
"I guess that makes sense," I shrugged. "Maybe I can practice Extrasensory while we're here."
"Sounds good soul brother," she smiled. "Perhaps Autumn could help you."
I instantly remembered what happened last time she helped me and I felt my face heat up.
"Y-Yeah, maybe," I muttered.
A raised brow teamed up with Treehugger's smile as she stood up and made her way towards her wagon.
"We're going to need some firewood," she said over her shoulder. "You two look for some while I get ready to make some dinner."
"No problem," I smirked. "Be back in a few."
I started heading towards a few nearby trees, but paused when I didn't hear Autumn follow. I looked over my shoulder and saw her still sitting in the grass staring at the ground. I walked to her side and gave her a light poke in the side. She let out a startled squeak as she jumped to her hooves.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.
"Yeah," she laughed, her cheeks still looking a little red. "Just thinking about stuff."
"Alright," I sighed, then placed a paw on her shoulder as I added, "Let me know if somethings up though, okay?"
"Sure," she smiled.
I let my paw fall to the ground and started heading towards a cluster of trees. Autumn wasn't that far behind me, bringing a smile to my face as she came to my side. After being alone for so long, it was nice to have a friend again.
***
The whole day was pretty uneventful. When Autumn and I went off looking for sticks and leaves to burn, I would try to use Extrasensory to gather them all together to take back to camp. The results were...mixed, but at least I didn't have any accidents like what happened in the wagon (though I did send a rock flying into my head at one point. Not fun.). A quick shot of Flamethrower and we were eating like kings. Well, okay, maybe not kings, but it was still a hell of a lot better then the stuff I had been eating since I came to this crazy world. It was also the first meal I'd had in...a while with other people. Anyway, a little after sundown Treehugger turned in for the night, leaving me alone with Autumn. Not too much of a problem. Just two pals hanging out under the stars next to a campfire out in the middle of no-yeah Treehugger's up to something. Don't know what, but she's up to something.
Crickets chirped around me as I stared up at the sky, the camp's dimming fire warming my left side as I laid on my belly. Autumn was leaning against my right side staring at the fire. A nice cool breeze passed over us as we enjoyed the scene in our own ways.
"How's your head?" Autumn asked.
"Still attached," I chuckled, ignoring the bump just above my eyes.
She snorted and gave me a playful punch in the shoulder.
"You know what I mean," she said with an audible grin.
"Yeah, yeah," I smiled. "I'll be okay. I've taken harder hits then that."
"I heard," she muttered somberly.
"What do you mean?" I asked, turning my head to face her.
Autumn frowned towards the ground as she told me about how she found out about my past. Not gonna lie, it did get to me that that whole thing got spread around by a group of ponies I barely knew at the time. Then again, I wasn't exactly in a private setting when I spilled my guts to Treehugger. Looks like I'll have something to do when I get to Ponyville besides getting my room set up and making a work plan. That's gonna be a fucking blast.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves the second Autumn finished talking.
"Are you okay?" asked nervously.
"No," I sighed. "But I will be in a few minutes."
She leveled a sad look at me and...god damn it why does she need to be so cute? Seriously! If an evil genius came to this world, all he'd need to do is take someone like Autumn, give her a kitten to hug and find a way to turn that into a power source for a death ray. The world would be destroyed in a mater of seconds. No contest.
"I'm gonna have a few...colorful things to say to Starlight, but I'm not gonna let myself get too bent out of shape about it. It's out there. No point throwing a tantrum over something I can't change."
She nodded, then stared up at the sky. My good mood died a little, but staring up at the night sky helped me manage to get a somber smile onto my muzzle. This wasn't the first time I'd seen the stars here. Back at the sanctuary, I would come out of my cave to watch them every now and then when my paranoia was less extreme. Even now, the sight was something I couldn't get bored of. My neck on the other hand...
I let out a sigh as I reluctantly stared into the dying campfire.
"You know, it's funny," I mused. "Back home, I'd probably be sitting at a bar trying to forget about life right now."
"Didn't you have anypony to drink with?" Autumn asked.
I shook my head.
"I did at some point, but then Sandra happened. Before I met that bitch, there was this one gi...Ninetales I grew up with named Dahlia."
"Pretty name," Autumn giggled.
"Yeah," I smirked. "But she went all out trying to go against it. A total tomboy with a mouth that'd make a sailor blush. God I had a blast when we hung out. I still remember all the crap we got up to over the years."
"Sounds like a fun vixen," she laughed, but a somber tone crept into her voice as she asked, "What happened to her?"
I sighed, then frowned into the fire as I said, "After I got away from Sandra, she disappeared. She was the one that blew the bitch's cover and helped me move away from her. After that, her and her brother just up and vanished without a trace. I've been alone ever since."
We sat in silence for a few minutes after that, me sifting through my happier memories while I guess Autumn tried to digest everything.
Why the hell am I telling her all of this? It's none of her business, right? I don't need to give her my life story or anything.
"Do you remember when you first saw me?" Autumn asked, her voice surprisingly fragile as it broke the silence. "When I was on fire?"
"Yeah," I nodded, staring down at her. "You said that happens when your kind get mad, right?"
She nodded, a somber look on her face as she stared into the fire and said, "At one point, it became a major problem in my village. Kirin would get angry over the stupidest things and burn down big chunks of the village almost daily. It was a huge mess. To fix the problem, the village leader had us all bathe in a magical pond called The Stream of Silence. It dulled our emotions and made it so we couldn't talk. For a while, things were pretty good, but it started to take a toll on me. To not talk, act, or express myself at all? It was torture! When I found a way to counter the stream's effects I was over the moon, but then my village told me that I had to give up my voice to stay with them. I refused and was banished. I...had no one. For months, I was stuck in a prison of solitude where the only way out was to give up what made me happy. If it wasn't for Applejack and Fluttershy, I'd probably be talking to a bunch of rocks and sticks right now."
She looked me in the eye and with a small smile said, "Point is, I know what it's like to be lonely. So, if you ever want to talk, I'm all ears."
A small smile crept onto my muzzle as I leaned into her a little.
"Thanks Autumn. I mean it."
Her smile grew and she nuzzled her head into my side. A relaxed sigh slipped past my lips as I stared up at the stars above us again. It felt good to have a friend again.
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It's impossible to overstate how valuable it is to have someone willing to simply be with you. You know?
So if his brain was sent to the corner, what part of his body is in charge now?
10047007
Best not to think about it... * shudders *
It sure is tough being a kirin. Your emotion is extremely difficult to hide.
You’d be hardpressed to find someone who can live life without human contact. Or any contact at all.
Rhythm. I personally hate spelling this word...
You're.
10047161
The feeling is mutual. Pitch is another one that trips me up sometimes.
I Really loved this chapter, and this story, please never stop, I really want to see more
D'awww, this was cute
10047007
...His heart?
Hopefully.
Have question:
There are Pokemon moves like "Sunny Day" and "Sandstorm" that change the weather.
If our friendly Ninetales learned and then used Sunny Day during the night time, would he raise the sun?
Asking the real questions here.
10047378
Sadly, no. In this story, Sunny Day merely amplifies the existing light and heat around him. If he used it at night, the moon would shine brighter and it would make the area around him as warm as a sunny day.
10047430
Wasn't Drought essentially an "always on" Sunny Day?
10047490
Yeah, but since it's an ability, the energy is spread out through his entire body and doesn't drain him.
Do you mean all hail the fox king? (chapter 2) Not all hale? Which means to be hearty, and filled with vigor.
Hmm interesting
A nice feeling chapter.
Autumn: "No, Luke. I am your father.
"
"
Alex: "wai....WHAT!?
10047752
I have to agree, I guess I just hoped someone would have given them atleast a few brain cells
10048870
Yes, but "kind've" is a contraction of "kind have", which is not what he's saying.
10049204
Yes if by your description it would cost much more energy to do a sunny day. Still pretty sure by the game effects description they do the same thing "intensified the sunlight" how that works at night is beyond me, crazy game physics. Got to sacrifice game rules to be more realistic in a story setting. Water dance was another odd one when adapted to anime as it was a ball of water shot into the sky then any kind of dance... physical limits of the world/character can change how good a move.
Well I was thinking of him being one of the few that can console her with physical contact like a hug to calm her if she ever get mad to that point. Autumn species is known for being short fused while that may looked bad, if she pushes that energy into something constructive and not abusive that's a problem my book. I actually have not seen the newer episodes so most of my understanding of Autumn is through Fanfiction, so I'm probably wrong here. Anyway I guess him willing to take damage during one of those moments may come off as him being more dedicated to her then the other way.
Sorry for rambling off I've wanted to write a story recently but I tend to overthink these things like the rules and physics of the world. So a lot of these ideas are floating around in my head that I keep changing to make more sense or make it more story friendly.
Thanks for the good story so far btw!
10047577
Yes, very interesting. I'm getting the feeling either Dahlia herself or both her and her brother are going to turn up in Equestria later on.
10041581
What ultimately "solved" the problem, which the story seem to be saying the HE is the problem because he doesn't want to be intruded on, is them forcing him ti have a party with them and be their friends. This is when they didn't care about what he wanted, only what they want him to do, and intruded on him violating his comfort zone and forcing him to give it up for their benefit. If anything that shoukd be reason to cast them out and withdraw even further, but instead its saying this is a good thing ti open up to people who don't care about you, and hlnow hes going to ponyville to live with the ponies who have taught him that having his comfort zone violated is a good thing. Saying you mean otherwise is contradictory, because honestly it just looks like he has finally caved into the Mane 6 have being shit "friends". If you mean it like that have them act the part, or write it where the people who are actually are being his friends (Autumn/Treehugger) are the cause rather than a bunch of busybodies forcing themselves on him.
10051557
I do see where you would get that impression, but I think you may have missed a couple things. Alex is going to Ponyville to be with Autumn. As for his relationship with the mane six, they're more like acquaintances than actual friends. He also was given a choice between self-imposed exile or having a better life than what he had before coming to Equestria. Going to White Tail would've been a step back for him while Ponyville is a potential step forward, especially since the main reason (for him) to go there is to be with Autumn. This also makes it less likely that Pinkie will give him the usual surprise party treatment given his temperament.
https://images.app.goo.gl/KteMqhC67254s4ZMA kind of forgot how to put pic on here but kind of imagine that Autumn looks like when Alex got his back turn.
i ship Alex and Autumn with a burning passion... get it?
10066941
m.quickmeme.com/img/fe/feb9f0710c236d51bf6bf3b0e6c69e8bc17b71633aa965e99b69e1d2d8c4f7bd.jpg