Starting A Flame

by Star_Shade

Chapter [12] Escape from the unknown

It seemed the school day would never end. Piper glanced at the clock every two seconds, watching the time tick by. He still had one hour left until the last lesson was over. “Now normally, most objects have three phases of matter. Solid, liquid and gas. However, a fourth form can be achieved by heating gas to an incredibly high degree. This form is called plasma. Some unicorns are exceptionally good at controlling the first three elements. However, plasma is used quite often by pegasi, does anypony know why?” asked Miss Cheery.

Starfall raised a hoof, answering, “Would that be lightning?”

“Precisely. Well done, Starfall. Yes, lightning is a favorite among the pegasi when they control the weather. Unicorns have attempted to master the powers of lightning, but pegasi have proven to be the most capable,” said Miss Cheery. A knock on the door drowned out her lecture.

“Excuse me, class, I wonder who is at the door?” she said. Calmly moving from the front of the room to the side door, she stuck her head out to see who had disturbed her lesson. “Can I help you?”

“Yesssss,” hissed the being in the doorway, its face covered by shadows and its hood. “We have come for the foals.” Her eyes widened upon hearing the strange serpentine voice. She looked around the hallway, noting more hooded ones lined up at doorways. They too were talking with other teachers.

“Yes well, let me go get them ready,” she said a bit shakily, closing the door. Turning to the class, she made an announcement. “Class, please get up. Leave your bags. When I tell you to run, I want you to run! Understand?” The class was a little confused, but complied.

Opening the door again, she tackled the hooded creature. “Run!” she yelled, wrestling the creature to the ground. Springing to action, Moon Bloom helped the other foals out of the room. Piper looked at his teacher struggling with the creature. “Get them to safety, Piper!” yelled Miss Cheery, looking straight at him. Her frantic eyes bore into his very soul.

It seemed that the other teachers had the same idea, as multiple forms on the ground were wrestling the hooded creatures. Cloth and limbs were flailing, and foals dodged around in panic. Screams from both sides permeated the hallways. Their bulky gym teacher, Mr. Track, Piper would later remember, had successfully knocked out three hooded ones already, and was being currently dogpiled by five. Foals continued to stream out of classrooms, hoping to get away from the perpetrators.

More hooded creatures flooded in. They quickly began scooping up the foals, knocking them out with a magically infused device. Piper didn’t stick around long enough to find out what exactly it was. “Quickly! This way!” Moon Bloom cried, leading the five of them to a window in a side corridor.

“Alright, I have an idea. Moon Belle, work on breaking that glass! I’ll try and stand guard if anything comes at us,” said Starfall, falling into a defensive stance. “Piper, you get that direction.” He pointed to the other end of the hallway.

“Uh, yeah,” replied Piper shakily, his brain still trying to catch up with the events. He focused his attention down the hall. He gulped, keeping track of the two hooded creatures stuffing the unconscious foals in bags.

There was a resounding crash signaling that Moon Belle had successfully broken the glass. Piper spotted a shadow from the corner of his eye. “To your left, Starfall, that thing is coming!” he shouted.

Turning, Starfall quickly charged his horn for an attack, sending a bolt of energy at the creature. It just laughed creepily. “Puny ponies. Your magic cannot defeat us,” it hissed, stalking ever closer.

“Maybe not defeat you, but I can slow you down!” shouted Starfall, casting another spell. This time, he aimed for its hooves. Ice began to grow around its front-left leg, stopping their perpetrator mid-stride. Three more bolts then finished the job. Satisfied, the colt turned around and helped push Moon Bloom out with Piper’s help. Hearing the crack of ice behind him, Starfall doubled his speed and shoved Moon Belle out of the window.

“Come on, Starfall! I think I saw another hooded creature out here! Jump out, and I’ll catch you!” called Belle Moon once she landed. As Starfall hopped out, Moon Belle dug her hooves into the ground as she strained to hold him with her magic.

“Crap, we gotta move fast,” Starfall whispered, touching down as he spotted another hooded one begin to approach them. Piper sat on the window, just about to jump when something grabbed his back hooves.

“Help!” he shouted. Moon Belle quickly wrapped him in her magic, trying to pull him from his attacker.

“Hold on, Piper!” she cried, straining to hold onto him. She was able to pull him a bit more forward, before losing half of him back. Going back and forth was painful, Piper’s limbs protesting. He began rising higher, the broken glass cut into his back. Crying out, he felt blood slide down his barrel. With a final tug and kick, he was freed. He slipped from Belle’s hooves, falling to the ground. Huffing, he picked himself up, then sagged under the jolt of pain in his back.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Moon Bloom said, undoing her bow and making it into a makeshift bandage. Piper blushed at seeing her hair down.

“Thanks,” grunted Piper, loving the attention she gave him and the feeling of her hoof on his back.

“We have to get moving. More hooded creatures could return any minute,” urged Starfall. He flicked his horn, freezing another one.

“We could go to Sweet Apple Acres! We can hide in mah sister’s barn until all of this blows over,” Bloom exclaimed.

“Sure, but we need to find cover, or we won’t make it. Maybe if we take a detour to the Everfree Forest? We can just stay within the tree line and be able to see if anything follows us,” Starfall said, nodding.

---

Just before they reached the treeline, Starfalled noticed his limping friend. Walking over to Piper, he placed a temporary pain nullification and healing spell on him. “That should keep you good for now. Can you still walk?” Piper nodded in reply.

Turning to face back to the schoolhouse, Starfall paused and uttered one word. One word that would become a pivotal moment in time to come. “Gnar!” he cried, eyes wide. A chill went down Piper’s spine at hearing the distress of his friend.

“We can’t go back. We just escaped!” said Moon Scoots, shaking her head.

“I cannot leave my brother behind. We… we can split up. I’ll meet you all at the farm after I save my brother,” said Starfall shakily, already taking a few steps back.

“I’ll go with you. I know how much your brother means to you. The two of us might be able to get him out. You girls go on ahead,” offered Piper, moving to stand next to him.

All of them fell silent for what felt like an eternity. “Ah don’t like this, but ah can’t convince ya otherwise. Be safe!” Moon Bloom whispered finally. She waved her hoof as they parted ways.

Author's Note:

This chapter was a bit more difficult to rewrite, but it's good now.