The Flame Prince

by Schlat

A Change In Course

It was the next day at what I had learned was Ponyville General, or more collectively known as the region's hospital. Thankfully Twilight and her comrades had not yet returned, though that could obviously change at a moment's notice.

Presently me and Delilah, who thankfully seemed to doing better with her self imposed depression, we're waiting for the clock in our room to strike twelve. As that was the time set for our release, for it seemed Equestrian healing magic had surpassed our own. and had healed our injuries in record time.

"Five minutes to go".

Suddenly Nurse Redheart opened the door and trotted into our room.

"Good morning you too, how are you both doing" she asked us.

"We are well, thank you nurse" I replied, Delilah nodded.

"Good, how is your leg Night?" the nurse asked.

"Better, it's healed quite quickly thanks to your hospital's healing magic Redheart" I answered. The white mare smiled and puffed up her tuft before replying to me.

"That's good, while we may not be a Canterlot hospital that doesn't mean us Ponyville mares aren't capable of treating broken bones" she smiled.

"Indeed, you are most proficient" Delilah added.

"Thank you, now before we discharge you from here we do need to record some information for your medical records" Redheart said.

"Wait what, medical records?".

"Um, okay... are we going to this now?" I asked.

"We can, or you can do it at the front desk if you want. Did you want to do it now?" Redheart responded. I looked at Delilah.

"Sounds fine to me" she said.

"Very well" Redheart said and withdrew a piece of paper on what looked to be a piece of wood with a metal clip at the top that held said paper in place.

"Huh, that's interesting".

"First off I need both of your full names please" she asked.

"Night Storm".

"Delilah Evadne" after Delilah had to spell out her last name for Redheart we moved onto the next question.

"How old are the both of you?".

"Eighteen"

"Sixteen"

"When was you're last check up?" I looked at Delilah.

"We've never been to an Equestrian hospital before" she answered. Redheart seemed surprised by this.

"Really" she asked, and at my nod she continued. "Well that's not a major issue, what was the name of the last facility you we're in?".

"It didn't have a name, it was just collectively known as the infirmary" I answered.

"Okay then, I guess that's the answer they're going to get then" Redheart muttered.

"Next question, where are you both from?" she added.

"And why does that matter?" Delilah rebutted.

"It's important that we document where our patients are from so that we can help treat for any local diseases or ongoing ailments" the nurse explained.

"Well we don't know, as far as we both can remember we've always been on the road" I replied.

"So you've never sat in one place then...?" Redheart questioned, I nodded.

"I see, I take it that this infirmary also went with you wherever you went?" she asked.

"More or less" I answered.

"Alright then, what are the names of your parents?".

"My mothers name is Radiance, my father's was Solaris" I said, obviously leaving out their titles.

"Cyra and Ignatius respectively" Delilah added.

"Thank you, one last question" Redheart said.

"Oh thank Faust, we can almost finally leave"

"Have you both ever been checked into a medical facility for any reason in the past?" she asked

"No" I answered quickly, hoping to get this over with already. Delilah nodded when Redheart looked in her direction.

"Okay, that's it. Let's just get your bandages off and you'll both be good to go" she said.

"Finally let's hightail it" I smiled.

---

Sometimes I genuinely hate my life. Be it from having to stay up late into the night thanks to my occupation, training, or some unforeseen issue forcing it's way into my schedule. To fighting on the battlefield and seeing close friends get killed and then having to bury them in the following days.

I thought I had seen it all, I really did. But it seemed that Faust, fate, or whoever governed how the universe was run, always found a way to surprise me. Today it seemed that it was once again the mares of Ponyville. Making anything I tried to do a headache, even leaving. How they managed to give me a headache this way I do not and probably never will know.

"Are you sure you couldn't stay for one more day. I promise I'll show you how much I can give you here".

"I am certain Cherry, thank you though" I responded for the umpteenth time to the alcoholic.

"Nevermind her Night, she's just an alcoholic who'll abuse you. I can provide you - thank you Carrot Top but I unfortunately must be going" I interrupted.

"Unfortunately for you that is" I silently grumbled. This continued on and on until I was not the only pony utterly frustrated with the townsmares. Even Redheart had asked the same questions and made the same suggestions as half the town was to me right now.

"Oh but you like foals right... of course you do all colts like foals, and since I'm a school teacher I'm always around them. Oh you could come to my classroom and read to - enough!" Delilah shouted.

"I have had it with all of you, if the poor stallion wants to leave then just let him!" she yelled.

"And who exactly are you, some stallionizer that's gonna take advantage of him once you're all alone with him" some random mare in the crowd around us yelled. This seemed to ignite Ponyville's mare population into a powder keg about to explode upon Delilah.

Though in any sort of fight my money was still on the unicorn.

The second they started their advance on her Delilah conjured a sword and leveled it at the nearest mare, who stopped in her tracks. The rest following suit after a few moments.

"Enough of this foolishness, my name is Delilah Evadne. Descendant of the faithful and virtuous guardsmare Helia Evadne. Not that any of you harlots would understand that, now get out of my way or I'll blast you out of it" she threatened.

"That got the mares to make a small pathway out of the crowd, and with her head held high and a smirk on her muzzle the young mare escorted me out of Ponyville".

"Hmm, nice work guardsmare" I smiled once we we're at a sufficient distance.

"Hah, I just got fed up with all those remarks my prince, a pony of your station shouldn't have to deal with that" she replied.

"Well thank you nonetheless. I fear I was about to snap myself then" I said.

We made some more small talk as we continued to trudge west, towards where I hoped the legion would be. In truth I had half expected Equestria's royal guard to be stationed in Ponyville, waiting to take us into custody the second we stepped out of that hospital. Thankfully however the greatest foe me and Delilah had to deal with we're excited mares. Which I would almost always take over a battalion of guards.

I was also thankful that we did not have to wait long before a squad of mares in armor sporting our colors raced out of the neighboring Everfree to surround us.

Once pleasantries we're exchanged we we're then escorted to where the legion was encamped, where I noted that it was not in the same location as a couple days previously.

"Commareder Asteria" I said as I walked up to the commareder of the fourth legion, she honestly looked terrible. Much like the rest of her mares, who bore disheveled, exhausted, and panicky but relieved expressions when they saw me.

"Oh Flamehear... Prince Flameheart, thank Faust you're alright. They didn't hurt you did they, touch you inappropriately? We will all gladly raze that town to the ground if they so much as harmed a hair on your mane - Commareder, I'm fine" I tittered. She did not share my amusement.

"My prince, you have been held capture in that town for two days, on top of that been injured by Nightmare Moon and marehandled by Princess Celestia herself, and you just tell me that you're fine!" she near screeched.

"Alright, yes Nightmare Moon broke my leg, yes Princess Celestia levitated me. But I am still alive and no longer injured. On top of that I have seen several things that I want to try and reinvent in Ashen" I replied.

"How can you be so calm about this?" she asked me.

"Because it happened and myself and Delilah came out just fine, now why were we not able to secure the elements" I changed subjects.

At that Asteria froze, and the other guardsmares of the fourth legion shrunk back as well. This was clearly a conversation that they did not want to have.

"We... we tried your highness. But we really didn't know what we we're looking for. Still, it wasn't hard to locate five small stones that resembled the elements" she said.

"Alright, so why does Celestia now hold them and not us?" I asked.

"After thoroughly combing through that castle we took the elements and a few other things of value and began making our way out of the forest, when... she struck" Asteria shuddered.

"Who?" I replied

"The Nightmare, she attacked us and killed the mares carrying the elements before making off with them. We tried to track her down but there we're Equestrian guardsmares in the forest as well. So it was either pursue or keep ourselves hidden" she continued.

"Well it sounds like you made the right decision then..." I said.

"Who was killed?" I asked a moment later.

"It's in a report I have written out for you, right now your mother wants to speak with you. She said that as soon as you we're recovered to have you speak with her" Asteria added.

"Of course, thank you commareder" I said and turned to my tent where my communication crystal and the rest of my belongings I had brought with me we're, Delilah following me in order to activate the crystal.

A moment after she activated it and then stepped out for privacy my mother's concerned face appeared.

"Yes commareder As, oh Flameheart thank goodness, are you okay. If those fillies hurt you in any way I swear I'll - mother please, I'm fine... okay" I smiled. She smiled back and took a second to calm herself before continuing.

"Good good, now then. What the buck happened, why did Asteria report you and another guardsmare being held captive, Celestia now holding the one, or rather six objects which are the only things capable of defeating her, and you being injured by Nightmare Moon herself!" she cried.

"Yeah... about that" I nervously smiled.

I told her everything about my failed reconnaissance mission to how I witnessed Nightmare's return. All the way to me and Delilah's escape from Ponyville. Suffice to say she was not happy.

"So how many throats do I have to slit - mother!" I cut her off.

"They're mares not rapists, need I remind you that you are also a mare" I added.

"Yes, and I never said any of those crude remarks on your father when I courted him" she retorted.

"Perhaps, but that still does not warrant death for them" I replied.

"Very well, now about our next course of action" she began, I nodded.

"The fact that Luna did not immediately order your imprisonment suggests the mind wipe theory. As such that means that unless we are missing something here then the princesses are still none the wiser to our presence. So you will go back to that town and observe the bearers of the elements. Get close to them, learn as much as you possibly can about them and by extent the elements themselves. Then once we have enough information we will choose how and when we strike" she said.

"Celestia is likely to have them under lock and key in Canterlot" I replied.

"Indeed, which is something I'll put our Canterlot agents on. For now you just focus on the bearers themselves and find out they're weaknesses. Everypony has weaknesses" she added.

"Very well..." I replied.

"Is there something else Flameheart" she asked. She had always been good at reading ponies, especially me.

"Yes mother, I... am beginning to have second thoughts about all of this" I said.

"Why?" she asked.

"I feel that we are playing with luck we don't have. We've already gotten incredibly lucky that we haven't been discovered. In my opinion we should hightail it while we've still got the chance" I said.

"Flameheart, have you forgotten the conditions our subjects have to live in. The hardships they endure, because I haven't. Everyday when I see somepony's daughter being buried or colt being forced to father five foals at minimum just so that one might live to adulthood I only think of one thing. Do you know who I think of Flameheart?" she asked me.

"Celestia?" I replied.

"Precisely, I think of her and her betrayal centuries ago that put us into the position we find ourselves in today, and that makes me angry. Makes me want to avenge our fallen, who gave their lives so that we may live. Yes Luna's return complicates things, yes the elements being active again complicates things, and yes the Thestrals potential reinstatement exists now, however" she paused.

"We are Flame Ponies, we do not fear, we do not run, and we do not cower. We fight... we fight and we win. Even if takes us twelve hundred years" she added.

"Do you want the both us and our subjects to continue to have to live like that Flameheart, or are you satisfied with the new normal?" she asked.

"No mother" I replied.

"Good, then get out there and do your late grandmother Vesta Blaze proud!" she cried.

"Yes mother".

Comments

[Wise2Fox]

What a rabbit hole he gonna be ....

[DingoAte]

I’m calling it now the mother is evil

[Catmastermv]

11726103
Sometimes to defeat a great evil is to become a greater one