Sounds of Silence
Pinkie smiled as she watched her class playing different instruments, trying to get in harmony by using random musical instruments that wouldn't usually go together. Ace was beating a set of drums while Soul was playing a trombone, Mira plucking a harp and Heart was trying to play a guitar. Playing being the operative word. Pinkie had forgot to take one small thing into account: The fact that none of them could play an instrument. Heart was the closest to making an actual tune, having seen Flash play his guitar a few times and learned a couple of the chords. But other than that, the music they were playing was anything but harmonious.
"Okay!" Pinkie cried as they stopped, "Okay...let's...um...take a break." The student who hadn't been playing unplugged their ears, Heart, Soul, Ace and Mira all chuckling, "That...was totally terrible." They pouted at this, "Probably should have tried to find you all some instruments you can play." She laughed as they sighed.
"Got any spoons?" Ace jokingly asked, Pinkie replying yes and turning to her desk to get them. But as she started searching for them, a familiar pulsing sound caught her attention.
"Huh?" She looked up and back at her flank, but was surprised to see it wasn't glowing. "I thought I heard-" She stopped when a glow caught her attention, making her spin around and go wide-eyed, "Heart?"
Fire Heart stared in amazement at the sight of his Cutie Mark glowing. The realization of what this meant slowly dawned on him, a smile soon growing on his face.
"Well," Pinkie pointed to the door, "I guess you're dismissed."
"WOHOOOO!" Heart cheered before flying out the door so quick that a dust cloud was kicked up despite there being no dust in the room to kick up. The colt continued to celebrate as he flew through the building to the exit, all the while wondering what kind of friendship mission he would be going on.
And as he reached the exit, Fluttershy and Applejack could be seen running to it as well. "Hey!" He exclaimed, catching the older ponies' attention. "Look!" He pointed at his cutie mark and the pair smiled before showing their own flanks, which were also glowing. "So I'm going with you two?"
"Looks like it," Applejack nodded.
"It might not just be us three," Fluttershy added, "Somepony else might have also been called."
"Only one way to find out," Applejack continued, "Let's get to the castle!"
They nodded and headed out the school, only to find Flash and Twilight waiting for them outside the castle. "You're here," the princess smiled as Heart jumped up and showed off his glowing butt tattoo.
"Look! I've finally been called!" Flash and Twilight laughed at this as they headed inside, Heart flying around in random directions. "So where we going? Someplace cool? Will there be a monster there to fight?!"
"Heart," Flash grabbed his tail and pulled him down, "Relax. The place you're going is pretty cool by the sounds of it." Before Heart could ask where, Twilight turned to the other two ponies going.
"I can't believe you two are going on a friendship quest!" They arrived at the map room, "This is amazing!"
The mares in question gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean, Twilight?" Applejack asked, "We've been on one together before."
"Exactly!" Twilight cheered, "This is the first time the map has teamed up the same ponies for a second quest!"
This statement got them both smiling, Fluttershy turning to Applejack, "That is special."
"Heh," Applejack smirked. "Must be 'cause we're extra good at solvin' friendship problems."
"Or the map is running out of options," Flash laughed, "There's only so many combinations you can make with just the seven of us." The girls glared at him, "But...erm...still special."
"Well, it's not like your team is exactly the same," Heart chimed in, "After all." He struck a heroic pose, "I'll be going with you!"
The adults all laughed at this before Twilight glared at them, "Well hopefully, you three will be able to work together. 'Cause it looks like this one might be a little tricky." She gestured to the map, the three seeing their cutie marks floating around a large mountain range. "You're going to the Peaks of Peril."
Heart's eyes shined at the name, only for Fluttershy to stutter out, "The Peaks of...P-P-Peril?!"
"Aw," Applejack patted her shoulder, "It's just a name. It doesn't mean anythin'."
"Like how Cloudsdale is in the clouds and the Crystal Empire's made of crystal?"
"Fair point," the farm-pony turned to Twilight, "So, what can ya tell us about the place, Twilight?"
"Only what Rockhoof told me. Back in his day, nopony knew much about the Peaks of Peril except for the legend on this ancient shield." She brought out the shield, which showed two creatures that they all knew looked familiar.
"Hey!" Heart pointed at it, "That's the same species as Searing Salix!"
"That's right," Twilight nodded, "The Peaks of Peril was said to be the home of the Kirins, known for their kindness and truth-speaking."
Applejack smiled at that, "Now we know why the Map called us." She winked as Twilight spun the shield around the show the image of the Kirin in its alter-ego.
"Rockhoof didn't know that the Kirin were also the dangerous Niriks, fearsome beasts of pure fire. It was believed that they simply lived there with the Kirin, though now we know the truth about them."
"I'm guessing that's why the map wants me." Heart ignited his hoof, "Maybe they'll trust me since I have the same powers."
"Maybe," Flash added, "But Salix wasn't exactly the most friendly of creatures. He didn't really give off the kind and truthful nature the story indicates. He might have been the rare exception to that, but it's also possible the thousand years since Rockhoof heard the story could have changed them. They might have given into their more Nirik tendencies."
Fluttershy shuddered at the thought of meeting one of the scary fire monsters she had seen Flash and his team fight many times in the lost city, the mare turning to her friends. "Maybe you should go instead of me, Twilight." She gave a nervous laugh while Twilight frowned at her.
"Sorry, Fluttershy. Flanks don't lie." She pointed at Fluttershy's still glowing cutie mark, making her sigh as Applejack wrapped a leg around her.
"Aw, I'm sure the three of us'll get that friendship problem solved, no matter what kind o' creature has it." Heart cheered while Fluttershy gave another laugh.
"You three better pack for a long trip," Flash pointed to the location. "I'm not sure the trains even go that far. You'll probably have to hoof it some of the way." Fluttershy gulped at this while Heart looked absolutely ecstatic, the colt rushing out the door to go get everything he would need.
"Can't we just use the Rune Gate?" Fluttershy asked next.
"Sorry Fluttershy," Twilight stared at the map. "Putting a Rune Gate inside the peaks probably isn't a good idea. Without knowing the exact cartography, I could accidently place the exit point on the side of a cliff or in a cave home of something not happy about visitors."
"Oh," Fluttershy's ears flopped but she nodded. She knew she was needed, and even if it was slightly or absolutely terrifying, she would do it. "Okay, I'd better go get ready." They others nodded and Applejack led her out of the room.
The three ponies all gathered everything they would need for the trip, Heart's friends all excited to see he finally got to go on a mission, then headed to the train station. Applejack promised Flash she would keep Heart safe as they boarded.
And as they rode, they found the train ride was long, and Heart could barely sit still. Fluttershy looked out the window and as they drew closer to their destination, the scenery getting less and less spectacular. Eventually, they found themselves in a dusty wasteland with the occasional tree dotted beside the track.
That is, till the conductor stepped out. "Last Stop. End of the line!"
"End of the line?" Fluttershy asked, shaking as the other two grabbed their bags and waited for the train to stop. And when the conductor said end of the line, he meant it. The train tracks just stopped and didn't even have a proper station, instead having a bunch of piled up rocks they had to jump down onto. The train then began to move backwards, due to there not being any way to turn where they were.
Once it was gone, the three turned to the area known as the Peaks of Peril. Like the map had shown, it was a group of mountains that appeared to be pushed together to form one large mountain with several sharp points that formed a circle similar to a volcano. There was nothing between them and the mountains except a couple of stray trees. No houses. No buildings of any kind, say for the ticket box built beside the station. "Guess nopony else is goin' out as far as we are," Applejack told the other two.
"Maybe they know something we don't?" Fluttershy quivered.
"Now, Fluttershy," Applejack sighed, "I've told you a dozen times. There's nothin' to be sca-"
"RRRRAAAAAHHHHH!" The three leapt up at this sudden outburst, the trio spinning around to see someone hiding in the shadow of a tree that had made the sound. Heart was prepared to blast them, but the figure stepped into the light. "I'm sorry." The pony was revealed to be an old blue earth pony with graying blonde hair and three teeth inside his gummy mouth.
Fluttershy screamed again and leapt behind Applejack, then leaned around her to stare at the pony. "You really startled us."
"Yeah!" Heart yelled, "What's the big idea, yelling like that?!"
"Oh," the station pony looked sheepish, "It's just that I'm not used to seeing anypony taking the train to...the end of the line." He chuckled at that last part, "The final destination. The last stop!" With every description, he moved closer until he was almost nose to nose with Applejack.
"We get the picture," Applejack pushed him back. "Why?"
The pony turned to the Peaks of Peril, then glanced back, "Nothing but uncharted terrain and wild beasts out that way." He started maniacally laughing as he stepped past them and headed to the ticket box, continuing to do so even after stepping inside the box and out of sight.
"Well..." Applejack gulped, "Maybe there's a little somethin' to be scared of."
"Come on," Heart added, "We've probably faced scarier stuff that whatever the heck is up on those mountains. I doubt anything up there's more dangerous than Malafear and the Storm King."
"That doesn't make them any less scary," Fluttershy shivered, the trio soon making their way up the mountains. As they got closer, the terrain started getting less empty, the only thing being a forest that surrounded the mountains at the base. And as they entered, surrounded by trees and bushes, they found the only creatures in sight were birds and squirrels. They soon came across a river and Applejack leapt onto a large rock in the middle of it, Fluttershy carefully flying onto the rock while Heart flew over the river all together.
The colt was so excited to be on his first mission that he kept going straight, soon hearing Applejack yelling at him not to go too far and he sighed, soon flying slow enough that the mares were able to keep up. And after a few minutes, they arrived at an area of the forest that wasn't so scenic. Applejack groaned as she found herself walking through mud, only to then be attacked by flies. Heart wasn't having any of those problems, mainly thanks to his flight ability and fire body keeping the bugs away. Applejack groaned at this and Heart looked back, about to offer to keep the bugs away, only to raise an eyebrow.
"Where's Fluttershy?" The farm pony stopped in her tracks, then glanced around to see that the mare in question was nowhere in sight. She let out a groan and started heading back the way they came, Heart following until they were out of the swamp and back at the river. And standing on the other side of the river was Fluttershy, who was surrounded by squirrels as they picked flowers.
"Ooh," she smiled when she saw a squirrel running to her with a bunch of blue flowers in its mouth, "That looks lovely. I'm sure it'll make your home nice a comfy."
"Fluttershy!" She looked up to see Applejack leaping onto the river-centric rock and then over to her. "What are you doin'?! This is no time for visitin' varmints! We're on a friendship quest, remember?!" Her screams caused the squirrels to look terrified, Fluttershy frowning.
"Yes, but actua-"
"Come on!" Applejack leapt behind her and started pushing the pegasus back to the river. "We're burnin' daylight!"
"I know, but what I found out is that-"
"Now, we gotta get up that peak!" Applejack ran up ahead at this, "I figure if we use some rope and hoof grease, we can make it up half-"
"APPLEJACK!" Fluttershy screamed, surprising the earth pony and colt. "CAN YOU PLEASE LISTEN TO ME?!" Applejack's mouth locked as Fluttershy cleared her throat. "What I'm trying to say, is that the squirrels told me a shortcut they take to the Kirin village." She then returned to picking the flowers as the squirrels spoke to her, the group stuffing a tree full of them. "There. That should keep your tree nice and cozy. Now where was that shortcut again?" The squirrels explained to her and she smiled, "Thank you."
She then flew off in the opposite direction, the two following as they came across a large rock leaning against an extended side of the mountain. There was a small hole between the rock and the mountain that the squirrels could easily fit through. Heart was about to say they weren't squirrels, but then Fluttershy pushed on the rock and it rolled away to reveal the hole was a lot bigger.
"Oh," was all Applejack said before chuckling, "Sorry, Fluttershy. I suppose I got a little too caught up in the adventure."
"That's alright," Fluttershy replied as Heart headed into the hole and lit the way for them. "If you hadn't come back to get me, I probably would've talked to the squirrels all day. Heh." The tunnel began to head upward, allowing them to bypass all the hazards surrounding the mountains, only to get to the end and found themselves in a large forest that had a village built into it.
Hills and trees surrounded them on every side, and when they saw doors sticking out the side of them, they realized someone had built these homes out of nature itself. A river was running through the clearing and in the middle of it, a fountain could be seen. Heart looked up above the trees and saw the peaks that were surrounding them, now noticing they were inside the mountain, protected from probably anything by the tall walls and forest surrounding the place.
Fluttershy smiled as a butterfly flew onto her nose, but gasped at the sound of rustling. "I hope that's not an angry Kirin!" Applejack and Heart glanced around as more and more rustling occurred around them. The pair got into a fighting stance around Fluttershy, Heart about to light a flame.
"Show yourself!" Applejack yelled, her voice echoing through the valley. Nothing happened for a moment, but then rustling pulled their attention to a bush...and a Kirin walked out, but one unlike the one Heart knew. The most obvious difference was that this one was clearly a female, with graying brown fur and a mane of greenish blue. But the most noticeable difference was her size, as she was about the same height as Celestia.
Heart was about to speak up, but then more Kirin stepped out from the trees. These ones were the same size as Salix and had multiple different natural colors. They all walked up, forming a circle as they stared at the ponies in a stoic manner.
Fluttershy continued to quiver as Heart just stared at them, Applejack stepping up to speak. "Well, hi. I'm Applejack, and this here's Fluttershy and Fire Heart." Fluttershy waved and Heart nodded, the three waiting for the kirin to introduce themselves...but they said nothing.
"We're from Ponyville," Heart added, "You know of that town?" But once again, the kirin said nothing and the three shared a look before Fluttershy stepped out from behind Applejack.
"If you have any friendship problems, we're here to help." But still, there was no answer from any of them.
"Huh," Applejack turned to Fluttershy. "Quiet bunch, ain't they?"
"This is worse than trying to get a decent conversation with Maud," Heart added as Applejack cleared her throat.
"S-So, uh...what are your names?" But still, the kirin's lips remained entirely sealed. "Ap-ple-jack!" She then stressed before pointing to the others, "Flut-ter-shy! Fi-re-Heart. Remember?"
Fluttershy then whispered to her, "Maybe they don't understand us."
"Do. You. Un-der-stand. Ponish?" Applejack asked, the tall kirin nodding back.
Applejack smiled at this as Fluttershy spoke up, "Oh! But you don't speak?" The kirin nodded again, making Applejack tilt her head.
"Don't or won't?"
"Will you excuse us for a moment?" Fluttershy pulled Applejack out of the circle, Heart following them as she whispered, "You have to ask yes-or-no questions, or they won't answer."
"Like talkin' to Angel Bunny?"
"Not exactly," Fluttershy shook her head. "I can always tell what Angel is feeling. But these Kirin don't show anything."
Applejack face-hoofed at this. "Well, how are we gonna solve a friendship problem if none of 'em will tell us what it is?" They looked back to the kirin, both frowning as Heart shined a cocky grin.
"Maybe this is why the map sent me. Maybe I'm meant to get them to open up and tell us what the problem is." The mares turned to him with raised eyebrows, "What?! I'm practically a Kirin myself. Watch, I'll get them to tell me what the problem is." He moved over to the kirins, "Do any of you know a kirin by the name of Searing Salix?" The kirin all nodded, "So he used to live here?" They nodded again. "Great. I met him before and...well, he tried to roast me alive." He expected that to get a reaction from the kirin, but they said nothing. "But it's not just that. I got something pretty cool out of it." He showed him his hoof as it lit on fire, the kirin staring at it. "Pretty cool, huh?" Heart smirked as he stared at his hoof, completely unaware that the kirin were looking at one another.
Applejack and Fluttershy saw this, only to to see the kirin now sharing what looked like a silent conversation before nodding. "Um...Heart-" Applejack started.
"Maybe while I'm here, you all can give me a few tips on cool tricks you can do with your fire."
"Heart..." Fluttershy added.
"I mean, I can set my whole body on fire like you guys. I'm practically a nirik with wings and-HEY!" He yelped as the kirin surrounded him and lifted him into the air. The kirin's horns were all glowing as they circled Heart, the ponies realizing they were what were holding Heart aloft.
"What are ya'll doing?!" Applejack yelled as the kirin began to march through the town. "Hey! Ah asked ya'll a question!" But they didn't answer, Heart looking ahead, only to see they were going to a section of the forest just outside the village. A waterfall was filling a stream that didn't seem to connect to the water of the village in the distance, this stream surrounded by large stones with differently colored markings etched into them. Heart recognized a few of them from the many runes he had seen before, which made him gulp.
"Listen," he slowly said, "I'm all for some fun in the water..."
"Since when?" Applejack asked, Heart glaring back at her.
"But seriously, I'm not really in the mood to take a dip." But as he got closer, he felt something coming from the water. Some kind of magic that was radiating out of it. Heart could feel it at a distance, making him squirm, "I don't want to go in there!" He cried, struggling against the magic that was holding him. And as they reached the edge of the stream, Heart had had enough. "Let...me...GO!" His body exploded and unleashed a wave of fire, making the kirin jump back as their magic cut out.
Heart fell and almost hit the water, but managed to spread his wings and fired his hoof rockets to keep him from dipping even a hoof. He then shot up and up until he was out of the kirin's magic range.
"Heart!" Applejack cried.
"That water's magic!" He exclaimed, the mares turning to the stream and seeing what he meant.
"Wow..." Applejack stepped back from the magic aura it gave off. She then turned to glare at the kirin, "What was that water gonna do to Heart?" The kirin didn't reply, Applejack forgetting the need for yes and no answers.
Fluttershy blinked at this, "Is this water what made you unable to speak?" The kirin nodded, "So you were trying to stop Heart from speaking?" They shook their heads, "Does it do something else other then stop you from speaking?" They nodded again.
"Look," Applejack added, "I don't care why you decided to take a dip in that water. You've got no right to do the same thing to Heart." The taller kirin pointed at him, then at the trees surrounding them.
"Oh," Fluttershy nodded, "I get it. They're worried Heart's flames might set fire to their home."
Applejack raised an eyebrow at this, only to look back at the all the wood, "Huh. That...actually makes sense." Applejack glanced back up at Heart. "Turn off the gas. They might not dunk yah if you're not a threat to accidently set their place ablaze." Heart shut off his fire and slowly flew down. He watched the kirin, all staring at him, only for the tall one to point to the edge of the town.
"What?" He asked as more kirin pointed to the same path into an area of the forest that was so thick that light didn't shine through.
"I think they want you ta leave," Applejack commented.
"What?! Why?! I turned off the fire!"
"You might still accidently set something a flame," Fluttershy reminded him, "Something could make you sneeze or you could get annoyed at something."
"What the-that's not fair! You all can use fire and you're not banishing yourselves!" The kirin shook their heads, making them raise an eyebrow. "You can't use fire?" They nodded again, "What?! How?!" They pointed to the stream and the ponies went wide-eyed.
"So that stream made you lose your ability to turn into niriks?" Fluttershy asked, the kirin nodding. "And the unable to talk thing was a side-effect." The lead kirin shook her hoof in a way that gave the impression she was saying, 'Kind of.'
"So I'm banished from your town?" Heart asked as they nodded, "And there's no way to for me to stay." The kirin pointed to the stream, clearly giving him a choice. Leave, or take a dip. "Fine." He began to walk off, "But this is so costing you a star on your rating."
"Ya'll can't just go banishing him for no reason," Applejack added, "Heart's not done anything to ya'll. Yah shouldn't punish him if he ain't done nothing. Ah get this place is a bit combustible, but ah live in a place full of wooden structures and Heart hasn't burnt that down yet." The kirin didn't say anything, "Ain't there any kirin who didn't decide to stop talking?!"
The kirin then pointed to the same path Heart had just gone down. Applejack saw this and realized that if there were talking kirin, they could still use their fire. That meant they must have left the village the same way Heart had. "Now we're gettin' somewhere." Applejack smirked, ready to follow Heart into the forest.
"A dark spooky path that leads into unknown territory?" Fluttershy gulped, Applejack placing a hoof on her shoulder.
"Tell you what, sugarcube. You stay and see if you can get anythin' else outta these here kirin. I'll go and try to find one that talks and keep Heart out of trouble." Fluttershy nodded as Applejack headed into the forest.
"Be careful."
Applejack headed down the path and quickly spotted Heart, "Wait up!" The colt stopped as the earth pony reached him.
"You get banished too?"
"Nope. Well, not yet. The kirin said...well not said, ah could find a talking kirin this way. If that water stops them from talking and flaming up, any that didn't take a dip mustn't be allowed in the village anymore."
"Oh. Okay." They began to make their way through the woods, trying to find any trail or trace that could lead them to the talking kirin. And after about thirty minutes of looking, they heard a rustling coming from a bush behind them. The pair spun around, only to see a squirrel.
"Phew," Applejack wiped her brow before turning around...only to come face to face with a kirin. "YAHHH!" She staggered back and Heart turned to see the kirin, who was white with green armor, a brown mane and tail with a reddish brown horn on her head. The kirin had the same stoic expression as the others, making them believe it was just another silent one who had wandered too far into the trees.
"Oh," Applejack stepped back from her. "Have you seen a Kirin that talks?" The kirin shook her head, "Any idea where I should look?" She tilted her head, making Applejack growl, "Oh, for the love of Celestia!" She threw her hat to the ground, "Can't ya just say SOMETHIN'?!" Heart was about to remind her that they couldn't talk, but stopped when he heard giggling.
He turned to the kirin as he saw she was the one giggling. "Gotcha!" She told Applejack as she picked the mare's hat up in her magic and placed it on her head. "Sorry, sorry, but that was too good. Oh, you don't know how much I missed jokes! Hi-larity! Am I pronouncing that right? Some words I haven't said in a will. While! While..."
"So," Heart slowly said, "You're the talking kirin?"
"That's me!" She cheered before holding out a hoof. "Hi, I'm Autumn Blaze." Applejack would have shook her hoof, had Autumn stopped moving for a second as she talked. "You've just arrived, and perhaps you're tired or hungry or reflective and want to sleep and eat and journal? Which you should do, of course! But first-Oh!" She threw her hooves around them both, pulling them into a tight hug. "Oh, what joy to talk with another creature! It's been so long!"
"Air!" Heart groaned out, the kirin letting them go before getting a little to close for their liking.
"You must tell me everything about you! There's so much to say, so much to do! Oh, look at me. I'm going on, and you haven't seen-I mean, have you seen-? W-What am I saying? Of course you haven't. So just-I-yeah-I will ju-Follow me!" She started walking off, leaving the pair just sitting there, staring at the fleeing figure.
"Did you understand any of that?" Heart asked.
"Maybe every fourth word," Applejack scratched her head. The two followed the kirin through the forest, Heart soon rushing up to her side.
"So...do you know anything about a kirin named Salix?" This made Autumn freeze up before turning to him with wide eyes.
"Searing Salix?!" He nodded, "You know Salix?!"
"Kinda. He tried to kill me." This made Autumn's jaw drop.
"What?! But...but...he was the only one of us who realized how stupid we were!" This made the pair blink at her, only for her to point to the path ahead, "Follow me! You need to tell me everything!" She zipped ahead, the two running after her as they soon reached the edge of the forest. There they found themselves looking at another wall of the mountain, which had a large mound of earth piled up against it, the ponies unsure if it was natural or done on purpose. Either way, it formed a hill with a beaten trail that Autumn began to trot up.
As they reached the top, they saw a wooden house built at its very top. And instead of going into the house, Autumn led them to the edge of the hill. When the ponies got to the top, a gentle breeze made them flinch for a moment, only to see the entire valley. Large hills covered almost every surface, along with multiple tree clusters and a river running right through the middle of it. A rainbow was also there, making it one of the most picturesque sights the pair had ever seen.
"Oh wow..." Applejack gasped at the sight. "This...is amazin'."
"Wish Soul could be here to see this," Heart whispered, "This sight alone made the whole trip worth it."
"I know, right?" Autumn Blaze giggled, "The way the light shimmers off everything, like, like it all suddenly woke up the moment you saw it. And you realize maybe the water and the mountains and the forest and the...yes, the rainbow and the stars and the sky are all looking back at you thinking the same thing? That we are a part of the everything. That maybe there's just one thing and we're all it." She smiled at the ponies, wanting to know what they thought.
Of course, neither had a clue what she was talking about. "I was gonna say it's pretty," Applejack scratched the back of her head. "But yeah."
Autumn smiled as she leapt away from the cliff, taking a whiff of some flowers as she sighed. "And this is just the first stop on a journey of amazing things to see, smell, and tiphoof through." She walked backward at this, smiling the whole time. "Oh, I haven't been able to share all of this with anypony in forever! Since they all took that vow of silence. So it's a lot for me to pro-cess. Process? Uh, deal with."
"Whoa there," Applejack interrupted, "Vow of silence?"
"You mean them taking a dip in that magic water that stops them from talking?" Heart asked.
"Oh, you know about that?"
"They tried to dip me in the water!" Heart yelled.
"Huh? Why?" Heart ignited his hoof in response, "Whoa!" Autumn stared at the flames, "How'd you do that? I didn't think ponies could light themselves on fire like us."
"We can't," Applejack added, "Heart's the only one. Well...a friend of mine called Twilight did it once."
"She did?" Heart turned to her.
"Yeah. She got so frustrated with not understandin' Pinkie Sense, she suddenly burst into flames. It was weird and ah figured it was just her unicorn magic or somethin'. Who knows, she might have a bit of kirin in her lineage." The two nodded at this. "Anyways, she only did it once, but Heart's special. Actually, he got this power by having it uh...what did Twilight say it was?"
"It was magically copied off of Salix." Heart replied, "Now I'm a kirin in pony form." The colt then ignited his entire body while carefully stepping away from anything flammable.
"Wow," Autumn whispered, "And how long have you been able to do that?"
"Not long," Heart responded, "Well, it's been about a year or two...or three...I kinda lost track of time now that I think about it."
"Wow. And you can control it?" Autumn asked, Heart nodding.
"It took a while, but I got the hang of it. Sometimes I lose control when I'm really angry or upset, but I haven't set anything a light in a long long time."
"Well, you must be a special one," Autumn added, "Most kirin can't control themselves. We flame up as soon as we get angry or annoyed. Hence, the whole vow thing." She sighed and looked away, "That's uh...that's why they asked me to leave."
Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder, "I hope it's not a sore subject, but...you mind explainin' why y'all went quiet in the first place?"
"It's a long story," Autumn looked down at the ground at this, making Applejack sigh.
"You'd rather not talk about it?"
"No."
"I under-"
"I'd rather...siiiiiiiiiiiing!" Autumn started spinning as the ponies stepped back in surprise, the in built music maker they had kicking into action and making them listen to music as she explained. She sang about how she had once lived in the village with the others. The kirin used to laugh and sing and do everything most ponies did. However, one day a fight broke out and hurtful words were said. The kirin eventually exploded into their nirik forms and this resulted in the entire village getting burned up.
Afterwards, the kirin were constantly angry and continued to turn into niriks and cause problems. This was when their leader, Rain Shine, decided they had to stop themselves from ever turning into niriks. As such, they took their vow of silence and used the stream of silence to stop themselves from turning into niriks. Not only did it prevent them from speaking, it prevented them from feeling emotions. No emotions, no flames.
Peace was restored, but Autumn soon found herself with a million thoughts in her head and no way to express them. Years of this almost drove her insane, until she found the cure for the steam of silence. Taking it, she regained her voice and her ability to wield fire. But since she was the only one, her voice was the only thing the kirin heard day in day out. This, coupled with the worry of her burning down the village, led to Autumn being given the same choice as Heart. Stay and take another dip in the pool, or leave and keep her voice. Obviously, she chose to leave.
(Autumn)
So I came here, but left the couch alone
They're hard to move
With just the view for company
Until ya heard me groove
She wrapped a hoof around Applejack, then pointed to a bunch of fruit on the ground. "Take it away, boys!" The fruit had faces on them, Applejack and Heart now seeing that the years of silence followed by seclusion had driven her a bit batty, but Autumn just kept singing.
(Autumn)
'Cause rainbows won't light up the sky
Unless you let it rain
And candles just won't glow until they're burned
No, you can't give up your laughter
'Cause you're scared of a little pain
It's a lesson that my village never learned
No matter how hard I schooled them
Fear of hurt is still what ruled them
Sometimes you gotta let it raaaaaaaain!
Yeah, sometimes you've gotta let it rain
As she finished singing, she started tearing up and quickly wiped her eyes as several butterflies flew past her. As this happened, Applejack and Heart were speechless about the information they had just gained. "Ah can't believe it!" Applejack yelped, "Nopony should give up feelin'...their feelin's just to keep from gettin' angry!"
"That's what I said!" Autumn nodded, "You know, after I started talking again."
"This is nuts," Heart added, "I know getting angry can be bad, but it's a part of life. Sometimes you have to get angry. Heck, if we didn't get angry, Equestria would have been conquered by who knows how many villains by now." He then thought back to the first kirin he had ever met and the way he wouldn't stop talking, much like Autumn, but less insane. "You said Salix was the only one who realized how stupid you were. Does that mean he didn't take the vow?"
Autumn nodded again, "Oh yes. Even when we tried to force him into the lake, he fought against us and ran. I never saw him again after that." She let out a low sigh at that, "Honestly, I wish I could have joined him. You said you met him, right? What was he doing?"
"He joined a cult of psychotic ponies," Heart replied, making Autumn go wide-eyed, "He was trying to help this really bad pony get the secret to ultimate power. If they hadn't failed, Equestria would probably be a lot darker place now. But they did fail and he had all his memories erased by a super powerful god-like being. She hoped not having any memories would help him start a new and better life."
Autumn blinked at this, only to sigh again, "Well...I guess that's better than what could have happened. Still, Salix was right. We never should have taken that stupid vow. I know I regretted it, and now my entire village is silent and joyless while I'm out here talking to plants and other things."
Applejack then gasped at this, "I bet this here's the problem that the three of us came to help y'all with!"
"Really?" Autumn asked before counting. "But there's only two of you. Oh! Do you count your shadow as well? What'd you name it? Mine's called 'Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands.'" She waved at her shadow, who waved back as the ponies just stared at her.
"Right..." Applejack gulped. "Well, I'm thinkin' if we just go talk to the other kirin, maybe we can get 'em to welcome you back proper-like. Maybe even convince 'em to take your cure."
"Oh, yes!" She clapped, "Yes, of course!" But suddenly, her excited face vanished. "Oh, just one small thing. The antidote from my anecdote? It's gone."
The ponies' eyes went wide. "THERE'S NO CURE LEFT!" They both cried as Autumn looked down at the ground.
"I used the last of the foal's-breath flowers to make it. And I...I haven't seen them bloom since." She sat on the edge of her house's balcony as Applejack sighed.
"Well, this wouldn't be a friendship quest if it was easy."
"So what's the plan?" Heart asked, "Do we still try and get the kirin to welcome her back?"
"It'll be a start. Who knows, one of the kirin might know where some of the cure is." She glanced back at Autumn, "Leave this ta me. I'll go talk to Fluttershy and hopefully, together we can convince your friends to let you back in." With that, she leapt down off the balcony. "Heart, stay here until ah come back!" Heart saluted as he heard Autumn talk.
"You know, between you and me, I'm not sure she's gonna convince them." He turned to reply, but then realize she wasn't talking to him. She was talking to her hoof, with a face drawn on it and a stick stuck to it that was likely meant to resemble a kirin horn. "Nope!" She mimed, clearly trying to make it look like her hoof was talking. She then spoke normally, "But...I hope she does." She whispered that last part, then turned to smile at Heart.
The colt just stood there, blinking before slowly saying, "So, uh...what do you usually do for fun around here?"
"Oh, I do plenty of things. Forage for food, sing, talk to my friends." She pointed at the face covered fruit and veg, Heart grimacing at this.
"I need an adult."
"I am an adult," Autumn replied, "So what about you? How did you learn to control your fire?"
"I've always had some control over my fire," Heart responded, "When I first got it, I was fighting against Salix and his villain friends. We were in a stone city with almost nothing that could ignite, so I could just let off my fire without needing to worry. I didn't need to worry about anything like that until I got to Ponyville. That's when I started learning to control it."
"So what did you do?" Autumn asked.
"One of my teachers, Grand, told me I had to listen to my anger, but not let it overwhelm me." He then remembered what Grand had taught him so long ago. "Close your eyes."
"Okay," Autumn did so as Heart tried to remember what Grand had said to him that day.
"Now...imagine yourself swimming in the ocean. Imaging you're still close enough to the shore, that your hooves could reach the seabed. You're floating there...then a large wave comes your way. That wave...is your anger."
"Oooh," Autumn gasped, "It's a really big wave! I'm gonna call it Whackadoo!"
"Ooookay..." Heart slowly replied, "Anyways. There are three things you can do when that wave hits you. The first is to let it wash you away, meaning you let your anger free and have it dictate your actions. The second is to try and fight the wave, meaning you try to bottle your anger up and ignore it. But no matter what, you'll reach the point where you can't fight it anymore and all the anger will wash you away."
"Yeah," Autumn nodded, "I remember that happening. Like when you're waiting for the rain to stop so you can play outside, but it just keeps pouring and pouring and pouring. You try to be patient and tell yourself it's just nature taking its course, but the more it pours, the more annoyed you get. And eventually, you can't take it anymore!"
"Exactly," Heart responded, "Don't give into your anger, and don't bottle it up."
"Then what do you do? Isn't that the only two things you can do with anger?"
"Nope. There's on final option. Let the wave wash over you."
"Isn't that the same as giving into your anger?"
"Nope. You dig your hooves into the sand and brace yourself. Let the wave of anger hit you, feeling the force of that anger flow through you. And then...let it go. The wave has washed over you, but you remain exactly where you want to be."
"Okay...I don't think I get it."
"Yeah, I didn't really understand at first either. Every time you feel yourself getting angry, don't fight it. Let the anger flow through you, then take a deep breath and try to calm yourself down."
"And that works?"
"Not always," Heart shrugged. "Sometimes I get so annoyed and so frustrated that I can't help but let out some flames. Whenever that happens, my mentor and his friends take me someplace I won't burn down to let off steam. It's usually a rocky canyon or a special room they made that's completely fireproof. When I'm there, I can let my anger out as much as I want too."
"Huh," Autumn nodded again, "I guess that makes sense. I think this is something the other kirin need to hear more than me."
"Well, then let's go tell them," Heart stood up.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Autumn replied, "I mean, if we step foot inside the village, they might try and dunk us in the river?"
"And how are they gonna do that?" Heart asked, "Without their fire, all they can do is lift things up. We can take 'em." He started flying toward the village and Autumn followed behind him, only to wear a big frown as Heart asked, "So what used to happen when kirin got angry? You know, before the whole flaming destruction leading to eternal silence thing."
"Oh, we always caused fires. But that time was the biggest argument the village had ever seen. Before that, there was the occasional flame, but we were able to keep it under control. But that time, we were so angry and flames exploded and spread faster than we could control it."
"That's insane," Heart nodded as they reached an area of the path that allowed them to see the village. "Hey, there's Applejack and Fluttershy." They saw the two ponies together, but as Heart took a closer look, he could tell they both did not look happy. Applejack said something he couldn't hear, but he had a feeling she was yelling. "Are they...arguing?"
"Uh oh," Autumn gulped, "That's not good." She ran up at this, Heart flying after her.
"Why? What's wrong?" He got his answer when the kirin began to surround the mares and suddenly lift them up before they realized what was happening, then started moving them toward the stream of silence. "Oh no!" He ignited his body, "Why would they silence them?! They can't use fire!"
"They don't like any fighting," Autumn replied, "Even if they can't burn the place down, the kirin see any form of argument as a bad thing. They probably think they're doing your friends a favor by taking away their ability to feel angry."
"They don't have the right to do that!"
"I know," Autumn nodded as she closed her eyes. "This has gone on long enough. I tried telling them they were wrong, but now they've gone too far." Her eyes shot open and were pure white as he body started steaming up. "Now I'm going to make them see reason!" With that, her entire body exploded into flames. And as they reached the top of the hill toward the stream, she called out to the kirin, "PUT THEM DOWN!"
The kirin and ponies turned to them as Autumn charged, the kirin leaping to the side as she circled around Fluttershy and Applejack. Fluttershy flinched at this, but Applejack patted her shoulder. "It's all right. I know this one, and she's tryin' to help."
"Hey!" Heart yelled as he flew above them, "I'm here too!" He saw some of the kirin trying to get to the flames, but he shot a few fireballs from his tail. They struck the ground, Heart aiming for the dirt to keep from causing a fire, which forced them back. "Great work Autumn! I knew you could control your flames!"
"Thanks!" Autumn cheered as she stepped through the flames and returned to normal. "Guess I just needed to right incentive. Can't have them silence the only friend who'll speak to me."
"She talks?" Fluttershy asked, Applejack leaning next to her.
"You have no idea. Fluttershy, meet Autumn Blaze." Autumn held out a hoof, only to find it was on fire. She quickly blew it out and Fluttershy shook it.
"Well, thank you for that...um, wall of fire. But I thought Niriks were dangerous when they're angry. How did you know you could control your temper?"
"The same way I do," Heart chuckled.
"He's right," Autumn nodded, "I did feel angry, but that anger didn't make me feel like I had to burn everything down. All I wanted to do was stop you two from getting made silent. I guess it's like what Heart told me. Let the anger wash over you, feel it, then let it go. I did just that. I felt angry for a moment, let it fill me up, then let it go. When I did, I still felt the strength it gave me, but...I've never felt so level headed in that form before."
"Remind me to thank Grand for helping me figure out how to control my anger," Heart laughed.
"I guess anger's like other feelings," she smiled as the fire circle slowly began to fade away. "It's not about having them. It's what you do with them." The fire vanished as they all stood up, Applejack turning to Fluttershy.
"And givin' up happiness to keep away anger is no kind o' life."
"I never thought of it that way," Fluttershy added, "I can't imagine not being able to talk to my animal friends." Autumn nodded again and turned toward the kirin.
"Fern Flare, you used to love to laugh at everything." The kirin in question looked down, a frown breaking through her stoic expression as Autumn turned to their leader. "And Rain Shine, you sung the most beautiful harmonies. Don't you miss it?" Rain Shine did appear upset as the ponies stepped forward.
"I know you're worried about fightin', but friends can disagree without causin' a ruckus."
"Everypony gets mad sometimes," Fluttershy added, "Even Applejack and I argue."
"What?!" Applejack glared at her. "When do we ever argue?" Fluttershy cleared her throat as she started counting them off.
"On the way here? And about the Kirin being silent? And right now!" They glared at one another, both actually growling with the kirin grimacing at the sight, only for the two to smile and start laughing.
"We don't always see eye-to-eye," Applejack chimed in, "But we never let that get in the way of our friendship."
"And I can help teach you how to control your anger," Heart continued, "It took me a while to get control over my emotions, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it way faster."
Fluttershy nodded, "And if you're really angry, then take some time away to be a Nirik where it won't hurt anypony."
"Even better idea," Heart held up a hoof. "Maybe when we're finished here, we could ask Twilight to come and cast a fireproofing spell on your village. Or she could teach you to cast it yourself...if you can." He turned to Autumn, "Can kirin do more than lift thing up with their horns?" Autumn looked like she was about to reply, but then one of the kirin stepped forward and started making gestures.
"I-I think they're tryin' to say somethin'," Applejack told Autumn, the kirin moving toward one another as the silent one tried to mimic what she wanted.
"Okay, are you hungry?" She shook her head and tried again, Autumn still not getting it. "Oh, no. Is some Kirin trapped in a well?" That wasn't it. "Okay, baby. Baby fish. Ba-ba-no. Baby fish mouth? Uh, something? Anything?!"
"Er...Autumn," Heart tried to speak up before the kirin groaned.
"Just write it down!" She looked ready to start blowing her top, her horn and eyes beginning to flare up. "This is making me furious!" But then she saw the terrified look on the others and took a deep breath. "Would you excuse me? I'll be right back." She quickly trotted behind a rock and a loud nirik roar filled the air, along with a column of fire that shot up into it. A moment later, a much calmer Autumn trotted out, "You were saying?"
"Autumn!" Heart yelled, the kirin turning to him. "I think they want the cure you took." The others nodded and Autumn smiled, but that smile quickly grew strained.
"That's wonderful!" Fluttershy cheered before she saw the other's expressions. "Uh, isn't it?"
"Well, it would be. Except there aren't any flowers left to make the cure."
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at this, "Are you sure?"
"Oh, beyond sure." Autumn sighed, "Believe me, I've had a lot of alone time lately. I searched the entire forest seventy-three and a half times." She then stopped as something seemed to dawn on her. "Although I wonder if that second half could make a difference." With that, she rushed off as Heart raised an eyebrow.
"She's not gonna find any, is she?"
"Hmm," Fluttershy hummed, "I wish she'd told us what kind of flowers she's looking for."
"They're called foal's-breath," Applejack replied.
"I've never heard of that," Fluttershy shook her head.
"Well, maybe that's just something the kirin call it," Heart added, "It could be a dandelion, or a blue bell for all we know."
As he said this, a squirrel leapt onto one of the rocks and started chattering and doing gestures. Applejack knew better than to follow Autumn's mistake and try to guess, deciding to leave this to the expert. "Uh, Fluttershy? A little help?" Fluttershy listened as the squirrel repeated its words and gestures, making the pegasus gasp.
"He says he knows where to find foal's-breath!"
"Well, what are we waitin' for? Lead the way!" The squirrel leapt off the rock and started running through the forest, back to the village and the hole they first used to get up to it. Squeezing their way through, they soon returned to the area outside of the mountainous volcano and were led back to the tree Fluttershy had helped beautify.
The squirrel reached into the tree and pulled out some of the blue flowers Fluttershy had gathered for them. "That's what foal's-breath looks like?!"
"No way," Heart laughed as Applejack was in shock.
"Autumn Blaze never would've made it past the Peaks to search here." Something occurred to her and sighed, turning to Fluttershy as she took off her hat. "I owe you an apology."
"Why?" Fluttershy asked.
"'Cause if your kindness hadn't made you stop to help the squirrels, we never would've found this here flower."
Fluttershy smiled back, "And if your honesty hadn't convinced the Kirin to talk, we wouldn't need to find it." This made Applejack chuckle, the farm-pony pulling the animal lover in for a hug.
"Guess it's a good thing the map sent the two of us, huh?"
Heart smiled at this as the squirrels gave the flowers too Applejack. "Now it's your turn," Fluttershy told him, "Once the kirin all have their flames back, it'll be up to you to teach them how to control their tempers so they won't burn things up so much."
"I thought we were gonna get Twilight to fireproof the village?"
Applejack shrugged at this, "If that was meant to be the answer, the map would have sent Twilight instead of you. These here kirin need somepony to learn how to control their fire, the way you've learned how too. And if we're lucky, they'll take those lessons and build on them before passin' it onto future generations. You could be helpin' develop a whole society. Thank yer up fur it?"
Heart gulped, but took a deep breath and nodded.
With that, the trio rushed back up to the village through the tunnel. When they got there, they found Autumn looking worried as the rest of the kirin were gathered around a fountain. When she spotted them and what they had, she gasped. "You found them?!" She took a closer look and nodded, confirming they were the flowers they needed. "Where were they?! Tell me everything, and feel free to add complicated descriptions and comedic tangents!" But the three simply gave her a look, making her realize there were more important things to focus on. "Oh. Right. First things first."
They watched as she took the plants and threw them into a nearby fountain, causing the foal's breath to break apart and mix with the water. Doing so caused the water to turn from light to dark blue, Autumn looking worried as the kirin gathered around the fountain and started drinking from it. Her worry was that the foals breath wouldn't work, or that it would and her friends would instantly start fighting. But with each kirin that took a sip, their expressions turned from bland to joyous. Soon enough, they were beginning to talk, laugh, sing and so much more.
"Yes!" Heart cheered, seeing the kirin were back to normal.
Rain Shine began to move up to them, a smile on her lips. "Autumn Blaze, you have given us a gift. The realization that anger is within us, but it is our choice how we let it out. We would very much like it if you came back to live with us. I can't say how much we've missed your beautiful voice."
Autumn looked like she was about to start crying, but quickly broke out into song as she ran around the village and through the water of the fountain. As she did, Heart started showing the kirin different ways he had learned to control his flames, all the while talking about how to feel anger without losing control.
The kirin started trying this themselves and while there was a few small accidents, they began to pick up how to use their fire without losing control. And as they put their fire away, Autumn used her hoof to spray the water fountain in a way that made it rain down upon them all and create a rainbow.
The beautiful sight was met by the light of the three pony's cutie marks, which glowed to signify they had all completed the mission they had been sent to do. Applejack and Fluttershy high-hoofed at this while Heart cheered at the success of his first mission. The kirin then decided to spend the whole day celebrating, the ponies sticking around to enjoy themselves as well.
"Here you go," Autumn smirked as she gave each a cupcake. "Baked them myself with kirin flame. Should give it a little extra kick." The ponies all took a bite and had to admit, they were delicious. "I guess you three will be heading home soon?"
"Yeah," Heart nodded, "But I think I'd like to come back sometime."
"Me too," Fluttershy nodded as a squirrel landed on her back and she offered it a bit of the treat. "This place really is beautiful."
"And ah'm sure Twilight would wanna learn more about yah" Applejack laughed. "She can come fireproof your home and gain insight inta kirin life."
"Maybe this place can become a new tourist destination," Heart chuckled, "I bet lots of ponies would wanna come see this place. Celestia could have the train tracks extended so they come closer, maybe build a new station inside the forest."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Fluttershy shook her head. "Think of all the animals that would lose their homes if they did that."
"Oh...right."
"Ah'm sure Celestia and Rain Shine can make a compromise," Applejack assured them, "If the kirin want to become more open ta dah world, they'll find a way to make it work."
Autumn nodded as a thought popped into her mind. "I don't suppose you all could do me one last favor." They turned back to her, "I know you said he wouldn't remember us or what we did, but if you ever happen to run into Searing Salix, can you tell him we're sorry for what we did and tell him he's welcome back? And know that the rest of the kirin are probably feeling just as guilty as I am. So if you happen to see him, can you tell him that for us?"
The ponies all nodded back, happy to try and help. Heart's experience with Salix might not have been a positive one, but he knew everypony deserved to know they had a place to call home. He also knew he couldn't wait to get back to his and tell all his friends about his great adventure, and whatever else was next, whenever that might be.
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Having Heart be involved in this was a nice touch. He has actually matured so much since his introduction, and this particular mission gave him the perfect opportunity to show that off.
A great character development for Heart and it goes to show he have come from a long way and is more mature.
It's ironic that AJ said she would keep Heart safe and yet, she and Fluttershy need saving from Heart and Autumn.
Unlike Soul, at least Heart's first friendship mission went off on good note.
At last, Heart finally got his first friendship mission and it's fitting one.
Nice callback.
Banshee need to release the official timeline for his Flash Sentry Chronicles story, who with me?
He got a point.
Grand would be proud of Heart.
Also, a bonus point for Heart so Kirins would likely tell the future generation about how he helped them of control their fire.
Hey, great work with the story. Can't wait to see what you do with the Season 8 finale. :)
Wow, looks like Heart had a chance to shine after all.
This was great! Heart finally gets to go on a Friendship Mission from the map like he has wanted for so long. He actually did a lot better than I expected, since it didn't turn out to be a "be careful what you wish for scenario". Him helping the Kirin actually makes a lot of sense when you remember not only does he have experience with Searing Salix, but his powers are based off the Kirin's too.
I really like how this showed Heart's growth since he first appeared. He has learned from his mistakes and can control his anger, and now he is essentially acting as a teacher to an entire species to help them adjust and use their powers safely. Flash and Grand are going to be so proud of him for this!
It was also great how Searing Salix was referred to throughout the chapter, with Autumn Blaze finally learning what happened after his exile and his current fate. It is nice that she and the others say that if anyone ever meets him again, they can tell him he is welcome to come back home. Now I really hope the other amnesiac cultists will reappear eventually and become fully redeemed.
Ha! Classic DBZ Abridged joke!
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I agree it would be something nice to see. Maybe once when the series is done he can make a blog for it or something? It is hard to keep track of how long every season and event takes place sometimes, especially since everyone has their own theories like "every season takes at least one year" or something.
I am for a release of a official timeline for his Flash Sentry Chronicles. Great work
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Lol I love it when Banshee does that.
Sweet adaptation of this musical episode Banshee, the addition of Heart on AJ/Fluttershy friendship mission was a good choice (especially since his fire powers kinda came from Salix
) Good to see him been mature during the whole ordeal & of course seeing Autumn Blaze was a fiery blast! 
Highlights for this gem :
Tread carefully there Flash!
Beware the quiet ones AJ!
Whoa, whoa, whoa don't even think it mute pyros!
Yay Autumn!!!
Glad to see those lessons from Grand paid off!
Good chapter all around Banshee, till the next one!
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🤦🏻♀️ Apparently
Reminds me of this scene from “Young Justice”