Pyre Heart

by Crunchypuff

Part 2

The sun had set.

Blank Canvas was asleep on the paint-stained couch in the middle of the room, having insisted on giving Pyre Heart the bed to sleep on with his broken wing.

The red pegasus was still awake, the events of the day running through his mind. He clearly recalled waking up on the ground in the middle of a forested area and being taken to a doctor and then this town, but everything before was a blur.

He could almost remember some sensations, like a dream he just woke up from. Senses of fear, and flying away from something, pain, and then...nothing.

The only clue he had was the mask lying on the bed next to him. It was on his head when he woke up, and the unicorn who helped him said it was a firefighter's mask.

Perhaps she was right, as it did feel comfortable on Pyre Heart's head, almost as if it belonged there.

He ran his hoof over the mask's glass eye holes, rubbing spots of dirt and grime from them. The mask had writing between the eye holes, though Pyre Heart couldn't tell what it said.

He briefly considered asking the unicorn to help him read it, but the idea of telling her he couldn't read brought a wave of shame over him.

He paused.

He couldn't read. That was another clue to his past, at least.

With that thought in his mind, he lowered his head to the pillow and closed his eyes.

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A cheery voice roused Pyre Heart from his slumber.

"Wake up, sleepy! Breakfast is here!"

Pyre Heart opened his eyes and saw a smiling grey unicorn standing above him with a pastry levitating beside her. He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Wha...what time is it?" he said.

"Time for food! Also, late. You slept for a while, long enough for me to go out and get food from the bakery. But that's a good thing, you need your rest."

She lowered the pastry onto the bed, dropping crumbs as it moved. The pastry was a round scone with apple filling and some cream spread on the top.

Pyre Heart's mouth watered.

"Dig in! I'll get started on my cutie mark for the day. I'm thinking a sun, or stars maybe. Something cheerful, but elegant."

She floated a small mirror and paint brush over to her and started drawing.

As Pyre Heart ate his pastry, Blank Canvas slowly painted a design onto one flank, squinting at the mirror and pursing her lips as she did so.

After several minutes, he swallowed the last bite of his breakfast and the unicorn slowly turned in a circle, showing her painted flanks.

One showed a starry sky and the other a bright sun with rays shining from it.

"Pretty!" Pyre Heart said.

"Thanks!" Blank Canvas grinned. "It's nice to have someone right here to show my art off to."

"So what are we doing today?" the pegasus asked.

"'We'? Are you sure you're okay to walk around with your wing like that?"

Pyre Heart nodded.

"Yeah! I can't stay inside all day. I've gotta find out more about who I am- er, were. There has to be something out there, right?"

"Well...I could ask around. And show you the town, if you want."

The pegasus jumped up excitedly, trying not to show the pain he felt on landing.

"Wow, you must be feeling better! Alright, follow me. If we want clues on your past, I know who to ask. And bring that mask too."

The grey unicorn led the way through piles of paper and painting supplies out of the house and Pyre Heart followed eagerly behind, with his mask in his mouth. Outside the sun was shining brightly, and he quickly put the mask over his head to block the light.

The town center wasn't far from Blank Canvas' house, and several stores and houses could be seen in the surrounding area. The pair walked over to a large brick house across a small plaza. The unicorn knocked a hoof on the door and opened it.

"Hey, anyone home?" Blank Canvas poked her head in.

The inside of the house was almost as much of a mess as the unicorn's own, with large blueprints and papers strewn about. Tools of all sorts lined the walls.

A brown earth pony head poked out from a hallway.

"Blank Canvas, that you? I'm sort of in the middle of something, if you don't- oh! This must be that new fella! Welcome!"

Pyre Heart raised a hoof nervously.

"Yes, you there! Word spreads around a small town like this one fast. Especially when it's Scatter Hooves we're talking about."

"Mmr...mrrph?" Pyre Heart mumbled.

"That's the pegasus we met earlier, remember? I should've known he'd tell everyone here about you, he hardly ever stops talking." Blank Canvas said.

"Speaking of names, I'm Frontier Justice, pleased to meet you!"

"He's the town engineer, builder, and general smart pony that we go to with problems. If anyone here knows about who you are, it's him," the unicorn said.

"Hmm? Do we have a case of amnesia on our hooves?" Frontier Justice asked.

"Yup! I'm not sure how much Scatter Hooves told you, but I found this pegasus in the woods yesterday with no memory of his past, just a name and a mask," Blank Canvas said. "Can you help?"

Frontier Justice eyed the pegasus carefully. Pyre Heart looked away nervously.

"Well, from the looks of the mask, he's probably a firefighter, like the ones from Cloudsdale. I'm not sure how much else I can tell you, though, we don't have much contact with the clouds. You could always ask one of the pegasi in town to fly over there, but that's a mighty long trip," Frontier Justice paused. "Scatter's probably not got the stamina for it, but…"

"Are you seriously suggesting asking him? There's no way!" Blank Canvas said.

Pyre Heart tilted his head.

"Well, unless you want to wait until Cloudsdale floats back here, it's your best bet. He's probably out-" Frontier started.

"What in Equestria is going on here?"

A white pegasus with a blue and red mane and tail swooped into the house, brushing past Blank Canvas' mane.

"Oh boy," she said.

"We have a new pony in this town and I was not informed?" the white pegasus shouted.

"He just got here yesterday!" Blank Canvas said.

"It does not matter! A new pony in this town…" he stared down at Pyre Heart. "Must be welcomed properly! Welcome to Equestria, new recruit! I am Rocket Jump!"

"He was already in Equestria before he got here!"

"Oh? Then why does his odd-looking head say…'Optical Mask' on it, hmm? That doesn't sound like Equestria to me!"

"Enough, both of you!" Frontier Justice said. "Focus on our goal here. We're trying to find out more about this little pegasus."

"Oh, right! Rocket, can you fly over to Cloudsdale and ask about Pyre Heart? We think he might be one of the firefighters from there!" the grey unicorn said.

Rocket Jump scratched his chin.

"Well, that would take at least a few days. Of straight flying, with no stops."

"Oh. Well-" Blank Canvas started.

"Of course I'll do it! Get me some food to pack and I'll be off!" he said with a grin.

"Really? Oh, thank you!" the unicorn's eyes gleamed.

Pyre Heart stomped his hooves excitedly.

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Blank Canvas and Frontier Justice helped Rocket Jump prepare for his flight, gathering food and water and packing it so that it could be carried while he flew.

Pyre Heart looked around at the town. He had already seen so many ponies that were kind to him, who didn't hesitate before giving their time and energy to help others.

He wondered how kind the ponies in Cloudsdale were.

Author's Note:

I apologize if I get the dialogue tag capitalization and punctuation wrong, I have a bit of a hard time with that.
But have more TF2 ponies! And names I came up with in like 5 seconds lol