> Strangely Resilient Ember
>  by DeliriousCrimson
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Old betrayals, new beginnings (Fixed)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "Tomorrows the day, huh?" echoed a voice in a dark room.

In the middle of the said room stood a medium-sized bed, the moonlight serving to illuminate the young man who currently occupied it.

He laid flat on his stomach, his lean and muscular torso highlighted beautifully by the moon. He fondled his jet black hair while his pajama pants expanded under his persistent squirming.

The man found himself restless, and for good reason. In a couple of short hours a new day would arise, a day which the lean young man had been awaiting his entire life.

His twentieth birthday.

It was the day in which by law, he was to meet his fiancé, it was the day in which he was to be officially given the honorable title of warrior, the day when he was to be considered a full fledged man of the Fire Nation.

A Fire benders twentieth birthday was an event of utmost glory, utmost honor, utmost respect. A respect which the young man had sought for so long.

His skills in the art of Firebending were without a doubt above average, however nothing compared to that of the royal family. Even so, for so long he has had the burning desire to prove himself to them and his country... or that was at least the mindset expected of him.

Truth be told, Kurama had no interest in any of this. As far as he could remember, he never had much ambition compared to the other hot-heads in his country.

Welp, whatever he thought.

The tired young man decided to just leave it all to fate as a yawn managed to escape him. He closed his eyes, sleep soon beginning its tight embrace upon him. Memories of his friends and family flashed through his mind.

A wide smile slowly formed across his face. Even if honor and glory wasn't particularly huge on him, he was still genuinely excited out of his mind.

His consciousness began to fade, his eyelids heavy against his eyes. With a final yawn Kurama forfeited his match of tug of war with drowsiness.







Slowly, consciousness returned to Kurama. Steadily but surely, he managed to escape the death grip that sleep would usually tend to have on him.

His reason surged back into his mind while he roughly stretched his hands out, his eyes snapping open upon realization of the fun to be had on this special day. However, he didn't have much time to contemplate it as he took notice of his 'different' surroundings.

Trying to make sense of where he now was, the drowsy man shifted his leg only to be audibly met with a rattling of sorts. He glanced down at the origin of the noise and saw that his left leg was bound by a short chain to a wall.

Kurama's eyes widened as he began to make out the other features in the room, all which resembled that of a jail cell. He looked towards the thick metal bars which also served to keep him securely within this space.

Carefully, he tried to heat up the chain which bound him in hopes of melting it away. His efforts were for naught, for the chain barely glowed the slightest hint of orange.

"What in the emperors name?", questioned Kurama, still trying to make sense of the situation.

After a few seconds a man who seemed to be a guard crept up to the jail cell and gazed in his direction. Kurama gazed right back, a look of irritation occupying his face.

"Tell me why I'm here before I introduce that sweet helm of yours to my fist, and trust me, their relationship will be intimate!", barked Kurama.

"Silence, flesh!", replied the guard.

He took out a contraption of sorts from his pocket and aimed it at the prisoner. It was an indigo colored tranquilizer gun.

Upon sight of the gun, Kurama widened his eyes and readied himself. The guard secured his finger tightly around the trigger and with a loud bang he sent two projectile darts in his direction.

A dart grazed his cheek as he barely managed to dodge it, a sting soon washing through his shoulder as the second dart sank into it. Immediately, his vision became blurry, his muscles quickly going numb.

Kurama struggled to utter a single phrase before speech too, was taken from him.

"Curses."

With a triumphant look in his face, the guard returned to his post, leaving the young man to struggle on his own. Kurama stranded there completely paralyzed, his eyes frantically attempting to further survey his surroundings.

What's going on? Where's ma and pa? Why am I here?

Countless questions flushed through his mind, his eyelids also beginning to go numb. He persistently fought to keep them from dropping further, but his attempts were fruitless.

Inevitably, Kurama's mind was once again dragged into a deep state of slumber.

"....."







A maddening sting washed over Kurama's face. He awoke in a frenzy as the pain stubbornly remained active upon his cheek. He looked around frantically, his eyesight still unfocused.

Startled, the dazed young man attempted to sit upright but his hands and feet were carefully restrained.

His eyesight slowly locked on and focused on a figure standing before him. It was a man with a whip, his face adjourning an array of scars which extended from his forehead to his neck

"You've slept for long enough, sacrifice.", said the man.

Mildly exhausted, Kurama defiantly attempted to gather up energy with the intent to burn his unpleasant face off, scars and all. However he could summon none.

His shackles must have been made of moonstone, a Fire benders weakness.

The man took notice of Kurama's hostility and struck him for a second time with his whip, a gasp of agony then escaping his mouth. The man then gently released an eerie chuckle.

"Know your place, flesh.", he softly warned.

Flesh? Sacrifice?

Kurama's pained face shifted into a confused and puzzled expression at the mention of these words. The man's unnatural perception seemed to have noticed this as well and chose to relieve him of his ignorance.

"Happy birthday Kurama!", he said somewhat sarcastically. "Im sure you must be at a loss as to why you're here! You see, long ago you were among a very fortunate few at birth who were chosen for this day."

His vague explanations were answered with a bewildered and angry look. Kurama clenched his teeth in a secondary attempt to summon flames, it was still no use.

"Why am I here!?", he yelled.

"I was getting to that.", replied the scarred man, seemingly not very amused.

"Today we are to offer flesh to the gods so that our nation remains dominant for yet another generation... you Kurama, are among three others that are to be sacrificed for this cause", he casually explained.

As he registered the meaning of his words, sweat began dripping down Kurama's face and torso, an eerie sense of nervousness beginning to creep up on him.

"Stop with the jokes... I've never even heard of such an event before!", he argued. The scarred man simply gazed at him with a bitter-sweet smile across his face.

The man took a glance at his clock and signaled someone to come in. It was a person thickly garbed in fire-resistant cloth who also carried a large iron box.

"Lets get started, time is of the essence", squealed the scarred man as his face took to a perverted expression. "This was always my favorite part of the job.", he chimed.

He began to unlock the box while glancing out of the cell. "Restrain his movements!", he ordered to the two guards visibly stationed outside.

They marched into the cell and with ease, managed to cease Kurama's thrashing and squirming. The scarred man then revealed the contents of the box.

Inside it lay a single necklace. It glowed orange with heat and the man abruptly smothered it in ink. The necklace seemed entirely comprised of stones shaped like commas. After a few puffs of fire, the ink was boiling hot along with the necklace.

Carefully, he picked it up with metal pincers and approached Kurama.

Upon realization of what was about to transpire, the restrained young man began to shiver, his eyes wide in fear. "Why..? Why me!?", he pleaded, large amounts of sweat accumulating on his face.

"Simple", replied the scarred man. "Because it's your fate", he then finished, deep dimples forming on his disturbing smile. Soon, the man fully closed the distance.

Kurama shivered as he licked his scarred lips and brought the necklace closer.

Soon, loud screams of agony began to encompass the cell as the necklace was placed around his neck. Tears of pain quickly streamed down his face whilst his mind danced in the unbearable, excruciating, and burning sensation.

The man began a demented prayer, an expression of melodic satisfaction upon his face as if he currently dwelled upon some sort of rythm. Meanwhile, Kurama's vocal cords were pushed to their limits, the scalding hot ink boiling into his skin, the superheated necklace drying it before it could drip.

The person in heavy cloth swiftly removed the necklace before it could further fuse with his skin. On his neck and upper back laying several branded markings, each one throbbing in pain as hot ink quickly dried itself in place.

The scarred man continued his prayer in an unknown language, his face visibly disappointed at the lack of further relentless screaming.

The guards released Kurama and casually searched a cabinet at the opposite end of the cell, the poor young man immediately slumping over.

He panted loudly, his markings sending waves of pain across his entire anatomy. Soon, the scarred man finished the prayer and ordered to the two guards.

"Quickly, change him into the sacrificial attire! He shall be the first offering!"

A guard forcibly stripped off Kurama's pajama pants and underwear, the other guard then swiftly replacing them with baggy red pants tied together in a fine white silk. Together, they clipped a jet black cape on the back of those pants and left his upper body exposed.

It seems the intent was to display the markings. Lastly, they roughly clipped a metal bracelet on each of his wrists, the limp young man putting up no resistance, his mind still attentive to the pain.

"Well then, see you soon", softly muttered the scarred man as he exited the cell. His subordinates followed after him, leaving the grimacing birthday boy to himself.

Kurama stared limply at the ceiling, unable to muster any words... unable to muster any thoughts.

"....."

The pain was still far from gone, but his body managed to relax, his mild panting still surely present. His mind began to process thoughts once more and a single question was brought to his consciousness.

How could this be happening...?




*An Hour later*




Bags began to form under his eyes as he struggled to stay awake. Kurama did not move an inch, not daring to drift off. His mind however, simply wanted to escape this harsh reality.

He never really accomplished much in his life. He was poor, bullied as a kid and never got good grades at school. All he really had going for him was his Firebending... and even that only got him so far.

It seemed like his future of becoming a pawn to the fire nation and dying out in battle was set in stone. However, no one could have warned him of what was to come. He frowned at the ceiling.

Perhaps.. it was a good thing. To at least die being of use to someone. That his death would at least bring a smile to an unaware persons face.

Kurama's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the cell being opened. He lazily glanced over at two hooded men and three guards who entered it.

It was time.

They released the shackles on his leg and left the moonstone shackles tightly secured on his hands.

Slowly, they escorted him out of the cell and over to a set of stairs. The stairs descended into darkness. Kurama who was unable to summon the will to resist began descending, the guards closely behind him.

After a few moments which felt like an eternity, the bunch finally arrived at an open altar. Surrounding it were dozens of men and women dressed in white.

They all turned to look at the presented sacrifice with disgusting smiles. Kurama lazily glared at the crowd, his eyes widening as he spotted a certain few.

In the mob were his family and his closest friends, all adjourning the same repulsive grin at the sight of him.

M-ma?... Pa?.. Bakura?.... Lee??

Tears once again streamed down his face as the demented crowd formed a path towards the altar for him. On the altar was a masked man garbed in reaper clothing.

Kurama's eyes closed shut while he was escorted down, for his sake he couldn't bare to look at their wretched smiles any longer. The tears persisted as he was strapped down on the altar.

The masked man began a prayer similar to the last he heard, this time with a crowd to chant along. He picked up a scimitar coated in black and aimed it at Kurama's neck.

He and the crowd continued their alien prayer while the scarred man from moments ago skillfully lit the surrounding candles, his flame not so much as touching the wax.

Surges of emotion rushed through Kurama's mind, his tears however, halted as his brain gripped onto a single one. His face contorted into one of seething anger as the scimitar was swung down.

Quickly gathering his rage into one sentence, Kurama loudly screamed his last words.

"DANM IT ALL TO THE SPIRITS!!!"

A loud chop echoed through the poorly lit room... his body and mind quickly going limp.






*First Person*



Darkness was all I could see... well.. to be honest, I am not even sure if "seeing" was the correct way to describe it. I couldn't smell anything, feel anything, hear anything, or even taste anything.

It was as if all my senses had been taken from me.

I no longer felt the burning pain around my chest, I could no longer feel my face twist in anger, nor could I feel the moisture of sweat upon my body. All I could confirm at this moment was my consciousness and even that felt a bit transparent.

Was this... death? Could this have been the afterlife? Could it be that my mind was doomed to wander in darkness for all eternity?

If so, then death was a really screwed up thing. To just wander here in nothingness, to be filled with it, to endlessly revolve around it, just the thought shook my being.

It seemed that it wouldn't be long before I lost what little remained of me to insanity in a place like this. My mind would eventually destroy itself at this rate. Rate... I wonder if something like that could even exist here.

Of course not. Nothing exists here, absolutely nothing. Not even time from the feel of it. I have absolutely no clue whether I've been here for minutes, days, or millenniums for that matter.

My mind simply continued to wander, though I had no way of knowing if it was truly wandering or not. However for the sake of preserving myself, I had to somehow give what was left of me some purpose.

Even if it was extremely obscure and groundless, I needed a sense of vitality. No matter how aimless or vague, my fiber craved for significance.

In truth, it was all I could really do. I absolutely wanted to keep myself from being forever lost in this dark, cold, and empty place no matter what. It was the only thing that-

Wait... cold?

Suddenly, a bright light flashed quickly through the endless darkness. It appeared and left at an incredible speed. However, it did come, I was sure of it, I definitely witnessed a light.

Hold on... witnessed?

Confusion washed over my brain. But it was cut short by an enormous pain originating from my chest, it throbbed as a slight breeze swept over it.

Amidst the pain, I could feel my chest heave up and down in rhythm to my muffled breaths. Slowly, my eyes opened only to be harshly met by a blinding light.

The... sun?

I lay there face up looking directly into a clear blue sky, a weird looking sun reigning dominantly across it. The view was partly blocked by tall trees, but it was still without a doubt, mesmerizing.

Weakly, I looked down at the origin of the pain. The branded markings were still present upon my chest region, the pain only adding to the huge sense of relief welling up inside of me.

I was.. alive?

I wasn't exactly sure why it happened so.. abruptly maybe? Or was it suddenly? In fact, for some reason being alive felt new to me, even though I was a hundred percent sure that I lived a life before my death. Wait, was it even a death at this point? I wasn't sure, but thank the spirits! I was alive!

I weakly stood to my two feet, the feeling of gravity mildly shocking me. I then looked around and dropped my jaw in awe at my surroundings.

I was inside some sort of dense forest, the endless vegetation having a very odd appearance to it. But before I could further ogle my surroundings, my mind began to forcibly recall many events from my past life.

From my childhood, to my teenage years, to my end at the altar, everything seeped back into me as if I was a sponge in water. My supposed "final" moments being what came back to me the most vivid.. 

The dark void seemed to have also been impeding my ability to feel emotions. Even if temporarily, I had forgotten what it was like to feel the emotions I was currently experiencing. 

I placed my hand on my chest and slighty squeezed my peck, my facial muscles contorting in a fruitless attempt to keep my angered tears at bay. My chest only ached.. It was negatively palpitating, this pain.

However, it was my proof of being alive. That I could still be burdened with this maddening scar on my body, and that tears could still flow down my cheek.. yes, it was my grim reminder that my chapter was not over just yet.

I wiped my tears and refused to think any further regarding the past. The truth of the matter was that I was already beginning to fill my mind with numerous questions about why I was subjected to that dreadful fate. 

And in truth, I was also teeming with questions regarding my current predicament.. the dark void, me waking up in this strange forest, so and so.

Alas, I simply decided to focus on the present. I took a deep breath, slapped myself, and plastered a huge, cheesy grin onto my face in an attempt to truly push the subject of my doom into the pits of my consciousness. 

It seems to me that physically speaking, it hadn't been that long since my body received the markings. However, I couldn't say the same for myself mentally.

Wherever my psyche was, it was there for a while... or at least that's what it felt like.

The thought of the void made me quite glad to be here.. wherever this was. An idea then struck my head. Carefully, I called upon any energy I may have had stored inside. To my satisfaction I had a mediocre amount, my body feeling a bit weak at the moment.

It was indeed a body that had just freshly suffered abuse, but the feeling of energy meant one very important thing that made the trip here with me.

Firebending.

With a sturdy punch, I sent a stream of flames toward a bush. I smiled in acknowledgement as the stream hit the bush with formidable force, setting it ablaze in the process.

I could still Firebend, even if It was a bit sloppy at the moment. Nothing a bit of training couldn't fix overnight though. 

But now that this was established, there was the issue of waking up in a strange forest at hand. The trees and vegetation were unlike anything I've ever seen before. So, it probably meant that I was no longer in the Fire Nation.

But where.. where could this weird place be..?

A loud yelp suddenly echoed throughout the forest, my line of thought being unexpectedly interrupted. Startled, I gazed at the flaming bush where the noise had originated, a creature swiftly emerging from it. Whatever it was, its features were obscured by the fire engulfing it.

Looks like my previous attack set it on fire. 

It released an eerie howl before it tumbled over motionless, suspensful silence filling the forest once again. I raised an eyebrow and catiously approached it, ignoring the slight pain which movement brought to my chest. 

I gradually closed the distance between me and the creature and in response, more strange creatures leaped out from within the overgrowth and surrounded me.



Unlike their dead comrade, their odd appearances were in bold, plain sight. They resembled armadillo wolves, except that they were entirely made of wood and lacked protective skin plates. Their eyes glowing a sinister green while an unbearable stench emanated from their jaws. 

I quickly took up my desert tiger stance, recalling it to be the stance I was to use when I found myself facing multiple opponents.

They were six in total, not counting the one I mistakenly took out. Obviously, I couldn't afford to give them the first move. With a swift clockwise kick, I unleashed a wave of fire towards the one at my front. Then with minimal wasted movement I kicked backwards, sending a fireball towards the one at my rear.

The two attacks hit with considerable force as the two targets were blown back and set ablaze. The remaining four quickly lunged towards me in hopes to catch me off guard.

As they advanced, I summoned flames to my hand and with a loud bang, I took the nearest assailant out with a flaming claw-strike to its wooden skull.

I rushed to eliminate the rest but found myself to be too late as the remaining three sturdily clamped their jaws shut onto my body.

"Arrgh!!", I yelled as their wooden teeth sunk further into my shoulder and both sides of my torso. I could feel the absurd force of their jaws, the intense agony rushing back and forth the length of my spine.

Their weight forced me onto one knee as they leaned downwards in an attempt to thrust me to the ground, which would undoubtedly secure their kill.

"Gaah!!" I painfully gasped as my muscles struggled vigorously to keep my body upright. With no time to think, I swelled unrestricted amounts of desperate concentration into my windpipe and took a deep breath.

I made sure to let out a formidable cry as I spewed the flames outward from my mouth, completely engulfing all three of them in the process.

Almost immediately, they let go and flailed on the ground in pain. They yelped in agony as my fire greedily devoured their wooden bodies. I panted as I looked on in high alert, my new wounds sending stinging rushes of pain with every breath. I struggled to get off my knee and stand on two feet as I looked on in lazy caution.

To my increasing nervousness, the now presumably dead creatures began to glow a mysterious green. The seven wood corpses tumbled apart and slowly approached each other, the surplus of lumber levitating and smashing together in mid air.

I looked on in shock while the pieces massed together into a huge lump of green glowing wood. That lump then took shape into a towering wood wolf, its size being several times that of my own.

My breath was thrown into highly alarmed disarray as the huge wood wolf crouched down to eye level and pierced into my eyes. With unrelenting might, it roared into my face, it's bad breath engulfing a good portion of the area with ease.

"Curses!!" I swore as I leaped back vigorously to gain distance from the apex predator before me.

My wounds stung and bled, not to mention my body was in bad condition from the start. My only choice was to fight too, in this state I wouldn't be able to outrun a flightless sky bison much less a giant wolf.

The wood behemoth crouched down and readied its illogical mass for a final lunge, it seems like its intent was to finish me off with a bone crunching bite. However, I still had enough energy to summon just enough flames for a lethal dose of force. I might screw it up as I am now but it's do or die, I had to aim for its head and hope for the best.

I raised my right hand above my head and lowered my left hand below my waist. Then I took a deep breath as the last of my perseverance was used to engulf both of my open hands in flames.

As the wolf dashed its huge body towards me, I clenched my biceps and took careful aim.

"AARGH", I yelled as I swirled my arms in a swift whirlpool motion to enhance impact. The wood wolfs enormous open jaws then quickly met with a twisting fire stream attack as I continued to power it from behind with physical and spiritual force.

The attack clashed with the wooden titans jaws, both sides holding unrelenting force. The two forces seemed to be at a stalemate, my remaining energy quickly leaving me. I clamped my eyes shut in pained effort as I let out a cry and with a final push, my attack burst into the towering beasts jaws.

It let out a mighty roar of pain as my attack rid it of a lower jaw before dispersing. Immediately, I sat on my posterior no longer having the strength to even stand.

I weakly looked on panting heavily, a mixture of blood and sweat running down my body in large quantities. The creature regained composure and attempted a snarl with its lone upper jaw. It glared intently in my direction as its jaw began to regenerate itself.

My eyes struggled to widen, fatigue embracing tightly onto every nook and cranny of my body. Was I about to meet my end so soon...? Again??

No! I can't go back to that darkness!

However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move a single inch.

The huge creature carefully approached as I looked on in lazy horror. I clenched my teeth in vibrant fustration while despair began to also sink its dirty jaws into me, my breathing even struggling to hyperventilate. It was just my luck to encounter this freaking thing as soon as I regained life.

I closed my eyes and readied myself for yet another imminent end. I sat there waiting for my ragged breathing and roaring pain to be once again silenced into nothingness...

I awaited my death in shameless defeat... but.. something was wrong. That giant was surely taking its time. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw the big wolf to be paralyzed.

(pause the music)

Its piercing green eyes widened as its entire wooden mass began to rumble. I looked on in bewilderment as the huge organism collapsed into a huge pile of wood.

Among the pile were multitudes of charred lumber from my previous attacks. I ogled at the pile intently for a very prolonged amount of time, the lumber showing no indication of activity.

An enormous sense of relief swept across my mind at the unreal realization. By a hairs breath, I managed to defeat this bizarre creature and survive. I softened my facial muscles and relaxed my stiff shoulders as I allowed myself to breathe.

"And stay down!", I weakly scolded the dead wood in resentment.

I winced in pain, my sudden outburst not exactly treating me well. Panting heavily and sweating like mad, I lay fully on my back with arms out wide. I was barely alive but alive nonetheless, I almost didn't mind the stinging, burning, and searing pain I was in... almost.

I glanced backwards at a tree and enthusiastically dragged myself towards it, doing my best to ignore the explosions of pain in response. When I arrived before it, I sat upright and leaned on its bark.

"A little rough but it'll do for now.", I painfully chuckled.

After settling down properly, I took to a more serious mood and carefully surveyed the area. This forest was now clearly a dangerous place, if anything else decided to pay me visit it would mean my death.

I wasn't a very big fan of death.

I sharply gazed for any shadows or unnatural movements within the heavy vegetation, a new feeling then presenting itself to me.

It was the first time hunger revealed its ugly face in all this mess. Just what I needed.

"Burned, bitten, exhausted, and hungry. Hm.. and here I thought I wasn't gonna get to experience my wedding," I weakly joked to brighten the situation a bit, the dreadful sound of a bush rustling reaching my ears in the process.

I snapped my neck towards the rustling bush, ignoring the short outburst of pain.

No. Do not. Please.. do not.

A new unidentified striped creature emerged from it.

For spirits sake, NO!!

The creature paused upon sight of me, its face making a very puzzled expression. I glared at it in hopes of scaring it off but it didn't seem to have any effect.

I guess this was really the end. My luck was truly at an all time low, was it possible for anything to be this unlucky? seriously, why in sozin's comet does this always-

"I do not know of the species in which you belong, but those wounds of yours, to ignore them would be wrong."

...Did that thing just talk?

I gave it a shocked but still defiant look, if it was truly intelligent enough to speak, it could pose quite the threat.

"Do not fret for I bring you no harm, the aroma of smoke is what brought me to my alarm", it rhymed.

Whatever it was, it didn't want me to think it was hostile, but that didn't mean it wasn't. And judging from its poetic speech, it was indeed pretty smart, however I don't have much choice but to bargain with it.

"Just let me go... I wont disturb you or your brethren I promise", I hoarsely choked.

It was definitely surprised at my ability to speak, its jaw was practically making love to the ground when it heard me talk. It shook its surprised expression off and responded.

"Nonsense, if another day is what you want to see, then gather your courage and come with me. It is my duty to help those in need, you see creature, medicinal craft is my one true creed."

Its expression sure seemed to convey a strong desire to help me even though it did not seem to recognize me as creature, and I knew a good liar when I saw one... It could most likely be trusted, not like I had any room to reject any help regardless. With that set in stone, I decided to converse with it a bit more.

"What are you?", I asked.

It looked at me with yet another puzzled expression before answering.

"That is the question that I'd like to know, I've never seen anything much like you in this overgrow. But I'll answer you in the name of Libra, if you were from around here, you'd know that I am a zebra," it chanted.

Zeb-what? Like a zebra seal? It had the stripes but it looked more like a horse..

It began to approach me, much to my surprise. I tried to stand up but pain and fatigue made sure that didn't happen. It chuckled at my attempt before speaking yet again.

"Be at ease, for you cannot stand, just how do you expect to get to my land", it chimed as it bit onto my pants. Before I could object, this "zebra" began to drag me along with it.

I simply gave up and let it do as it pleased, or as she pleased. This creature did have a feminine voice, so until I find out otherwise, I'll just assume she was female.

With a small sigh, my eyes once again gazed at the magnificent blue sky.

Lets see just what becomes of me...
> Odd circumstances
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "Ouch!" I yelled as Zecora finally ended her small... or should I say lengthy medical session. It took her hours to make a concoction to rub on my wounds, not to mention her careful methods of treating the burns on my chest. She mixed a shady looking powder with mint leaf and water as ointment for it.

Its weird but even I have to admit, she knows what she's doing. Usually I wouldn't immediately suck up to a sapient horse creature like this, but her ointment felt waaay too good on these accursed markings for me not to give her any credit.

Not to mention that I got to know her a little via casual chit-chat for the past few hours. She was unbelievably good-natured and kind despite the the fact that she knew I was dangerous. Plus, it was also a nice change of pace to have someone I could converse with after a series of life threatening events.

Zecora hummed a tune as she picked out some bandages out of her drawer. She faced away from me which gave me a clear look at the marking on her butt again, curiosity finally beckoning me to ask.

"Zecora, that's a nice tattoo you have there! But it looks strange, what is it?" I politely asked.

She paused momentarily before continuing the search, I hoped that I hadn't offended her in some way.

"This is a cutie mark Kurama, It appears at a young age in response to good karma. Everypony gets a different mark, it guides your life towards the path it is meant to embark," she happily responded.

Every... pony?

I didn't know what to make of that one but the mark sounded really important to her species. Also she has been rhyming like that for hours. It was seriously impressive.. but how in the emperors name did she manage this.. was it a routine in her culture?

"So basically it shows you how you are meant to live your life?"

Zecora nodded as she finished picking out the bandages. She trotted towards me and closely examined the position of my injuries before beginning to cover them up.

To be honest, this whole cutie mark thing was a bizarre concept, it seemed like it serves to determine their place in society. Wherever I was, it was full of weird creatures and cultural practices that were far different from those of my home. Although I probably shouldn't make that assumption yet from only meeting two species so far.

I wonder if those wooden creatures were also capable of speech..

However even if they were able to, I still wouldn't have felt any different about them. Those walking fire hazards almost killed me... although I did technically killed their friend first. But maybe Zecora knew exactly just what those things were, it could help me out in the future.

"By the way, before you came along I was attacked by strange wooden wolves. You wouldn't happen to know what they are and what their intentions were would you?"

Zecora gave me a startled look as she continued wrapping the bandages.

"The creatures you speak of would attack anything they meet, they lead little purpose other than securing their meat. They are called timberwolves, creatures that are formed of wooden mold."

I nodded in acknowledgement, those timberwolves sure packed a punch. I know I was injured and all but still, they would have definitely kicked Bakura's butt for sure.. and I had enough of talking animals with just Zecora alone. 

Funny, I never thought that something like that would cross my mind.

Hmmm... talking animals...

I let out a loud auditory gasp as a grim realization crossed my mind, I had no idea why I hadn't considered this huge possibility before. I died and awoke in a strange land full of weird animals that can talk.. I've even witnessed their sorcery! It.. it couldn't be..

"S-say.. Zecora this wouldn't happen to be the s-spirit world would it?"

My question was met with a puzzled look, its evident that half of everything I say will probably be met with that same look... as it has been for the past few hours.

She remained in a state of visible contemplation, which in itself gave me an answer. According to my ma's stories, no creature lives in the spirit world without being fully aware that it lives there. Theres also the fact that I felt my life slip from me little by little after my battle with the timberwolves. I could safely assume that this forest was in the normal world.

I gasped a hearty breath of relief as I moved on from that possibility. 

"Nevermind, I actually have a different question. Do you know how far the Fire nation is from here?" I asked.

What do ya know? The face again.

"I've never heard of such a land, and if I don't know it, not many others can." she truthfully responded.

From the sounds of it, she was quite confident in her knowledge of the land. Does that mean it was THAT far away? But there shouldn't be any place on Earth that hasn't been threatened- I mean, that hasn't heard of the Fire Nation.

If I had to guess, this forest could possibly be somewhere in the Earth kingdom, but better safe than sorry. Ill make sure to politely interrogate Zecora about as much as I can... if she doesn't mind.

"Sorry for the constant questioning but where exactly is this place?" I asked.

She finished bandaging my shoulder then moved on to my torso.

"This place is the Everfree forest, a place where the voices of many strange beings join into a wild chorus," she responded, not bothered at all by the bombardment of questions.

"Everfree forest? Now that's a place IVE never heard of." I countered.

This time we exchanged puzzled expressions before I continued.

"To be honest I woke up here in this strange place. Before I came here I... ehmm.. went to take a nap on my bed, in a place full of others like me... and no one like you."

Zecora continued to securely wrap bandages around my torso before rubbing her chin in thought. After a few moments she resumed her bandaging and responded.

"Could it be that you aren't of this dimension? If so, I believe this is worth investigation." she pondered.

"D-dimension swapping??.. I'll admit, this has all been strange beyond my wildest dreams, but don't you think that's a little too far fetched?"

To this, Zecora shook her head in disagreement.

"Strange happenings are the norm here in the Everfree, many have learned to cope with it and just let it be." she casually responded.

Swapping dimensions.. no, just how can that possibly be the case? But.. I don't have any other explanation as to how I made it here. So, if really did swap dimensions, does that mean I'll never return? 

I rubbed my wounds and felt the slight pain, but it was tolerable. Whatever the case was, I was going to find a way to return to my home no matter what. I then glanced at Zecora, was she really serious about this being a possibility? 

She also seemed pretty easygoing about the situation. Was it really not that strange for unexplainable things to happen in this weird forest? A cold shiver went down my spine as I took into account how creepy this place really was. She had to be some sort of fearless monster herself to live here.

"So.. does that mean there have been others like me?"

She shook her head and tightly pulled on the bandages before tying them firmly in place. She then took a clean rag off her desk and wiped the ointment off my body.

I don't know how, but there wasn't an ounce of pain coming from my markings anymore. Whatever that ointment was, it must've been some sort of miracle substance. I gave her an impressed look which she returned with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much for your help Zecora. if you hadn't came along I probably would have drowned in my pool of blood," I joked.

She visibly cringed at my mention of death and gave me yet another puzzled expression. I returned her puzzled expression. Surely she wasn't... well, sappy enough to cringe at the thought of blood was she? Even after residing in this dangerous forest? I face palmed before beginning my apology.

"My bad." I said as I clumsily scratched my head.

My stomach then loudly grumbled, as if the atmosphere wasn't awkward enough. She smiled at my flushed expression and walked over to a drawer across the room.

"If it is your hunger that you cannot bare, then worry not for I have loads of fruit to spare," she chanted while gathering a series of familiar looking fruits. She then grabbed.. or to be more specific magically held on to a bowl with her fingerless hoof.

She did the same with a sharp looking blade and proceeded to skillfully cut the fruits into a salad within the bowl. The speed in which she did so was far too impressive for me not to possibly clap. My clapping summoned a prideful look upon her face as she handed me the bowl of glimmering fruits.

My stomach grumbled once again as I looked intently into the fresh fruit. My mouth was tingling in positive anticipation, i have never seen these fruits, but I expected a good meal from them.

I worshipped the delicious looking meal with a long sniff, pleased at the sweet aroma that emanating from it. With a sharp breath I began to stuff fruit into my mouth, the sugary juices satisfying my craving for good taste.

I gulped the food down greedily, not caring much for manners at this point. All I knew was that I hadn't eaten in ages, and that I needed food quickly.

I continued to garble down the salad at record speeds, not sure if I was even bothering to taste it anymore. The fruit that made it up was in its own way, very unnatural. For example, it was just fruit, but it was weirdly heavy on the stomach. Also, it contained flavors that I had never really experienced before, but were definitely delicious. Lastly, they each had a mild crunchy texture that was amusing to chew.

I cupped the last bit into my mouth and rapidly chewed it. With a loud gulp, I swallowed it and sighed in satisfaction. My stomach dancing in the sensation of being full, which it didn't have the privilege to feel often enough.

"Whew!" I blurted out as I glanced over at the giggling Zecora. I was happy to make her laugh a bit after subjecting her to having to not only treat, but feed me as well.

She was a strange creature and had weird verbal habits... also judging from the many masks hung up on her wall, her hobbies were also questionable... and I was about a hundred and thirty percent sure that she was way more knowledgeable than me, but even so she was still kind of adorable. Guess it must have been her species.

I gave her a warm smile and decided to thank her properly this time.

"Once again, thank you Zecora. I owe you my life."

She shook her head and cheerfully responded. "Please, there is no need to thank me. In exchange, occasional visits would be dandy!"

I chuckled and nodded. But there was one problem. I had absolutely no idea where to go, and I couldn't possibly ask to stay here, that'd be way too selfish on my part. Judging from our previous conversation however, there must be some sort of civilization close to here. I should try my luck with them... as soon as she gives me the directions that is.

I opened my mouth to ask, but Zecora seemingly a step ahead, answered before I said anything.

"Two miles from here resides a town. Go straight, and to Ponyville you will be bound," she chimed.

P-ponyville??

I could only imagine the sort of creatures I would find there.

"So I just go two miles straight from your door?" I asked.

Zecora nodded as I turned and made my way towards her door, I planned to see her again atleast once before I returned to the Fire Nation. I also hoped that she wouldn't think of my abrupt leaving as rude, but then again she probably didn't perceive rudeness as a thing in general.

Were all of her kind this chummy? Well, its not like I could complain, she sorta saved my life and all. I turned to glance at her only to see her grinning and waving goodbye.

I resisted the urge to hug tackle her in her fit of adorableness as I waved back. Yup, must definitely be the species. I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, then I turned and looked straight in front of me.

Ok, all I gotta do is walk straight from here... no biggie..     [Insert cryptic animal howls here]

I began my tread into the eerie overgrowth of vegetation, careful not to stray off path.

The area was definitely weird, as was the rest of the forest. And now that I take a good look at it, it's truly unlike anything I have ever seen or read in books before. Maybe I really was stuck in a different dimension..

Also from the sounds of it, there aren't many if not any humans in this place. Was I really gonna be stranded in this weird dimension full of odd talking animals?

Speaking of animals, isn't this freaking forest crawling with dangerous types!? What if another pack of those freakin lumber canines attacked me again? Or worse??

Zecora tended to me well, but my bite wounds were still pretty painful under these bandages. Also with the amount of blood I lost, my body was still pretty weak. My only hope is to quickly get out of this forest and settle down at a place where my body can peacefully recover, not to mention I've been slacking in my training for who knows how long.

All in all, I've definitely had better days when it came to having the ability to defend myself. For now I guess I'll just push through all this greenery and lay low.

After a few moments of forest striding, a strange feeling sharply gripped my consciousness. Stunned and confused, I quickly looked around but there was nothing in sight.

The sensation burned hot... but strangely in a good, relaxing way. The sensation also seemed to have a direction, as if it was beckoning me to follow it.

Normally I would reject this strange impulse and keep heading straight... but the feeling seemed to grip as deep as my very instincts. I don't know where it was gonna take me, but I felt like I absolutely had to be there.

Without realizing it, I was already headed in the designated direction, a feeling of obscure certainty and determination gently washing over me.

I don't know where I'm headed, but it feels like the right place...






(3rd person)


It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. However, it wasn't just any normal beautiful day.

For it was only a couple of days ago that Ponyville won the medal count at the luxurious Equestria games. And it was without a doubt, the best Equestria games in history with an against all odds triumph over Cloudsdale.

Sure, it had some questionable moments, but the events were intense and jam packed with competition, with all participants having had close matches.

The residents of Ponyville found themselves in celebration upon every raised sun, with no end yet in sight to their increasing pool of joy. With that, we now join princess Twilight and her friends as they party in the library in which she calls her prideful home. Inside said library, the mane six in addition to Spike chose to celebrate with a simple get-together.

They chat and laugh together in a beautiful display of friendship, the aroma of foods and beverages pleasantly filling the room.

"Pass the nachos Spike!!" cheerfully yelled Rainbow Dash.

Of all the ponies, she was one of the most positively affected by the results of the games.

"Coming right up!" responded Spike with equal enthusiasm. His spirit was also quite high, for he heroically saved a number of the audience from a small incident, his feat still not going unnoticed.

"Oh, oh. I have an idea!" squealed Pinkie Pie as she appeared seemingly out of thin air. "Why don't I bake a NACHO CAKE!?"

Her outburst was met with the typical questioning look from all the mares currently in the room.

"Why.. don't you just stick to normal cakes darling?" questioned Rarity. For unknown reasons, she seemed to be the only pony in the room with a dress for the formal gathering of friends.

"I don't mind," softly added Fluttershy. "The birdies just love your seed cake!"

Pinkie pie gave Rarity a smug grin before dashing into the kitchen at speeds that should not have been physically possible.

"Just try not to make a mess again!" scolded Princess Twilight Sparkle. However, Pinkie was long gone before she could hear her.

"Just who ya kiddin' Twilight? Pinkie an' messes are like two sides ta' a coin!" commented Applejack, her statement being met with giggles from the other girls.

The giggling was cut short by a knock to Twilight's door as they all turned their heads towards the noise. The girls eye balled the door, then each other before Twilight quietly approached it.

Pinkie Pie popped her head out of the kitchen as Twilight opened her door, her action being greeted by a panting royal guard who stood outside. He struggled to catch his breath before spilling the urgent news.

"P-princess Twilight, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia have summoned you to the Tree of Harmony regarding a very strange occurrence!" gasped the guard.

The mane six quietly gawked at each other before Twilight broke the silence.

"And what exactly is this strange... occurrence you speak of?" she asked.

The guard silently cleared his throat before answering.

"It seems that a second Tree of Harmony has fully sprouted out of the ground. In addition to its bright orange glow, it radiates a heat which makes it difficult for anypony to approach it, your majesty." politely explained the guard.

The mane six let out simultaneous gasps as they once again glanced at each other, their jaws dropping in bewilderment. They gave each other determined nods before Twilight once again turned to the guard, a look of determination displayed across her face.

"We shall head there at once."



> A very "pleasant" new friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "......."

I currently found myself peeking out of a bush towards a huge clearing, an old abandoned castle-like structure standing right in the middle of it. In front of it were two horse like creatures, both being considerably taller in comparison to creatures like Zecora. My guess was that they weren't of the exact same species but maybe shared a common ancestor in evolution.

Well, granted that evolution worked here like it did in my world. For now, I decided to push the questions away and eye them thoroughly, the intent being to decipher how much of a threat they'd pose if I were to reveal myself.

The first things I noticed were their tiaras and color. The taller one was a majestic white while the shorter one was a shade of dark blue. Their hair flowed unnaturally to their left sides in a way which defied logic. They also had wings and horns unlike Zecora.

The use for their wings was obvious but I was in the dark as to why equine creatures would need horns. For now I would just have to be wary and see if I notice anything.

More importantly, below them was a small cave-like crater emitting a dazzling orange light. The impulsive feeling was definitely leading me in there. Furthermore, the proximity between it and me intensified the urge to an almost unbearable point.

It was taking all my willpower just to not run right out into the open.

A drop of sweat ran down my forehead as I looked on. Those creatures must have been ponies. If so, They were definitely bigger than I thought they would be.

They also seemed to be conversing about something, but I was too far to make out what it was. It's not like it was unexpected, but at least now I knew for certain that I could communicate with them.

I shook my head as my brain continued to beg me to advance into the light, my body stubbornly trying to disobey me. It was extremely difficult to bare, so I decided to reveal myself. If they were anything like Zecora, then I shouldn't need to worry.

With a hesitant step, I walked out into the open. The pair immediately noticed my presence and kindly turned towards me. When they took sight of me, their kind expressions shifted into one of shock. Maybe they were expecting someone else?

"Halt creature!" ordered the white pony.

They took a hostile stance, their horns glowing in similarity to their own color schemes. My eyes widened in disbelief at the fact that they immediately took aggressive measures. I frantically tried to stop my body but it would no longer listen to me.

"This is your last warning, halt now or we attack!" threatened the small darker one.

They seemed serious too, for their horns were overflowing with some sort of cryptic looking power. Taking note of the danger, I decided to weigh my options.

Fight them which would be impossible at the moment, try to run which was definitely not happening, or plead for my life. Shame and frustration stabbed my mind as the only option presented to me was made clear.

"Please wait! I come in peace!", I shouted. They seemed surprised, but still held firmly to their hostility.

My frustration then left me when a beam zoomed closely past my face, completely decimating a tree behind me. Anger began to well up inside me, my humiliating plea for life being completely ignored.

I decided to endure it, for these creatures just proved to be extremely dangerous. It would also be a lie if I said that I wasn't afraid at all after seeing that, but it was obviously a warning shot. Which means I had a chance to talk myself out of this. Even if it spat on my pride, survival was more important.

"If that's the case then halt now!" barked the taller white one.

Her and her companion didn't seem like they would have given me the light of day even if I did manage to stop.

"Listen, I wish I could but my body is being strange right now!" I replied while angrily raising my hands. They continued to glare at my advancing self. From the looks of it, they were mentally preparing themselves to attack for real this time.

Why are these things so hot-headed!?

I took a deep breath to calm myself, this situation required careful thinking.

Ok. These two are very powerful and unexpectedly hostile. Also, in my current state I'd be dead in an instant if I dragged a fight out with them. And for unknown reasons, my current destination is that cave-like crater which they shouldn't be able to approach due its hot radiance. I however, can simply cloak myself in my own heat as a barrier against other heats, granted that my heat is hotter that is. This will require me to somehow get past them without being hit, or I'll be wiped out. Once I'm in the cave I will see what awaits me and make a break for it after I investigate.

The pair evidently made up their minds as both of their horns began to glow again. My plan was to dodge and run to the best of my injured abilities. As long as I ran towards the light, I was certain my body would cooperate with me. I braced myself and carefully analyzed my attackers line of sight to pinpoint where exactly they would shoot.

They took aim and fired both their beams in my direction. With a pained start, I rolled over to my right in an act of evasion and immediately began running towards them, ignoring the small crater created beside me.

The two attackers seemed startled at my sudden outburst of speed and took to the air. The dark one swooped towards me and swiped at me with one of her hoofs which I clumsily evaded. She swooped back into the air while her larger partner fired the beam that she took the opportunity to charge.

I cartwheeled out of the way and quickly leaped into the air to avoid a secondary beam shot by the smaller one. I winced in mild pain, the excessive movement rubbing my bandages tightly against my wounds.

I continued my pained sprint towards the orange light, now being a third of the way there. This time, the pair regrouped and charged the energy from their horns into one point. It was most likely going to be a dually charged attack.

My eyes gleamed in acknowledgement and I immediately began thinking of a counter strategy.

There's a good chance their attack will cover a wide range. If so, then evasion won't do me much good, and neither would fighting back. My flame reserves are low, thus I'll have to direct my flames towards different methods of survival. If I screw this up I may be incinerated in an instant, if I don't accidentally kill myself that is.

A small frown crept across my face as my grim plan was settled. The airborne pair wasted no time in launching a thick beam towards me, it's incredible speed catching me by surprise, but not fatally so.

I rushed to raise two fists into the air and weakly struggled to engulf them in fire. With a grunt I then smashed my fists to the ground and violently detonated my flames.

The recoil from my own explosion damaged me heavily, the force sending me dozens of feet into the sky. Amidst the crunching sound that emanated from my ankle was a piercing pain. I rapidly shook my head in attempts to ignore the agony and glanced below me.

The beam burst into a mini explosion of blinding white light leaving a formidable, charred crater. A second slower and I would have been blown to smithereens.

The pair gawked at my obviously unexpected display of fire bending and began to advance towards me. With a final push of power I put my plan into motion. I stretched my hand out in the opposite direction from the orange light and gushed out flames.

The jetting fire served to accelerate me towards the light, my body zooming straight past that of the two advancing equines. They turned and gazed at my burst of velocity in astonishment, my strategy completely having caught them by surprise.

I glared back at them with a mocking grin. As much as I would have loved to pay them back, I was simply broke at the moment. Besides even at full power I can't say for sure I could take on them both.

The smirk remained on my face while I led my eyes back towards my destination in self-loving glory, I sighed as the feeling soon left me when I realized how close I already was.

yup...

This speed was going to kill me.

"AAAAH!!", I screamed, swiftly zipping straight towards the ground.

My body plummeted right into the cave. It bounced off the floor, shattering my ribs and a good portion of my hip bone in the process. Oxygen was beaten out of my lungs as my body violently flailed towards an object, the speed in which it did so not yet allowing me to perceive the pain.

As my soon to be corpse made contact with the object, time immediately seemed to stop along with the impact.

My eyes opened and looked towards a dazzling tree of solid orange crystal, next to it being another tree comprised of white crystal and a variety of gemstones. I glanced at my bloodied body, It was frozen in mid air with my knee making contact with the orange tree.

I felt no pain, but the sight unnerved me to no avail. I couldn't move a muscle or use any of my senses. It felt dreadfully similar to the dark abyss, except that I still had sight. I couldn't even panic at the sight of my disfigured body, for my bodily functions were all frozen along with my surroundings.

Gently, a presence slipped into my mind and embraced something within me. A few moments later a voice resounded through my brain.

Hmm, So it seems we have a winner this soon into the game. Quickly, state your business and desire.

The voice was broad and masculine, yet strangely unnerving.

Whats this? You're a human!?... Hmph, this will prove to be interesting indeed.

Umm... excuse m-

Well then human! What makes you think you are worthy of me, the Flame of Life?

I was unsure as to what to say to it. Surely it must have been this voice that lured me here. But if that's the case then why did it sound so oblivious as to who I was? Moreover, it has only spouted nonsense thus far. I left it's bizarre question unanswered as I tried to decipher the situation.

Well? Do not waste my time peasant.

First of all, time had been stopped dead in its tracks. This included my body functions as well as the perception of pain, but I wasn't complaining. I seriously wasn't looking forward to experiencing this bloody mess of a body I now had.

Soon after, this voice appears through my head,  making it safe to assume that it was the one responsible for stopping time. It might have achieved this simply by slowing my individual sense of time perception to extremely low levels. I'm not sure how it accomplished this feat, but it was much more plausible then it just stopping time as a whole.

In conclusion, this means that all I would be able to do right now is converse with it, hence the reason it left my consciousness unaffected.

Who are you?

WHAT!? You mean to tell me that you have come here without knowing that?

I attempted to frown but my facial features were still unable to do so. This voice was only making the situation harder to comprehend than it needed to be.

Weren't you the one who called me here!?

You insolent brat! Do you really believe I would stoop as low as to shamefully call for you myself!?

It sure seems like you did! LOOK!.... My body looks like a smashed tomato now because of you.

Yes and after I let your time resume, your injuries will heal due to our newfound contract you fool. How could you come here unaware of that?

Just what in Sozin's comet are you going on about? Get out of my head!

I hoped that I wouldn't have gotten such a disrespectful fool this time around. And to make it worst, you are unaware of what I am.

It's true that I am unaware, which is why you should explain!

Silence! Does your ignorance know no bounds!? You and I are now linked with one another until your death! The moment you made contact with my newly materialized form, a contract was formed between us.

This was a bit difficult to swallow. According to him, we were stuck together until my death? If that was the case, then it wouldn't be long before I committed suicide to escape his constant boasting and nagging...

Why was it formed with me then? By the sounds of it you could have just formed it with someone else instead of bothering me about it.

You ungrateful child! Being bound to the Flame of life is an honor which countless others have killed for. There are many who have awaited my return for a chance to harness me, yet here you are, contracted with me by mere coincidence! This is blasphemy!

Oh? And just what makes you so special?

Can you really be so tasteless!? Listen, I can grant you enough power to defeat even the king of Tartarus himself! Every two thousand years I can only be contracted to one mortal, and each time it was always to the one who slaughtered hundreds to obtain me! Yet you simply come here in all your ignorance and contract me just by chance!? My presence alone entices the hearts of creatures, and you ask what makes me special!?

This just proved my point, I had never met such a profound narcissist. It was actually sort of annoying.

Cant you undo the contract? I don't need power, I just want to make it out of here alive Mr. Flame of life, sir.

Fool! Now that it's been established, I am stuck with you until the day you die. Besides, I already ruled you unworthy of my power, even if your heart longed for it I wouldn't grant it to you.

Then what good will this contract serve me if you won't even uphold your part of it? Its not my fault that your "oh so great" presence led me here right?

Heh. It simply must have been a feat of misfortune for you to be the one. Haha! Poor kid, there's no doubt that you shall be hunted and killed by those who would do anything to have me.

This was beginning to sound a bit dangerous. At least now I knew why that feeling gripped onto me, it was this cocky guys presence. Also, he must genuinely be quite the big shot if others go as far as to kill for him. I for one see him as a nuisance, one which will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Well I'm sorry if I wasn't enough to meet your expectations Mr. Flame of annoyance.

You dare mock me? Hmph, lets see how highly you talk when you're dead. 

Before I could mentally object, my body fell to the ground. I braced myself for the waves of pain that I presumed would sharply echo through my pummeled body, however it did not come.

I looked down and saw the blood, but I didn't feel any wounds. Not even the ones given to me by the wood wolves. I removed the bandages and saw that there wasn't a single scratch on my body, the markings remained though. It must have been because Zecora already tended to them.

I looked up at the tree, huge amounts of regret washing over me. I shouldn't have let this thing lure me here, its not like I even asked for any of this. I directed a gaze full of remorse towards the tree as it cracked and then shattered, a brilliant red aura rushing into my body soon after.

Tch. While fusing with a human was definitely an amusing thought, I never imagined it would be one of such insolence and dullness.

I took this opportunity to spread a massive frown across my face, a glow then catching the corner of my eye. I glanced down at my markings which had a bright red glow onto them, the glow flashed brightly before disappearing.

By my choice, those engravings were to serve as the medium for which I was to give you power, granted I deemed you worthy. Now they'll serve as the medium from which I will gladly watch your pitiful demise. 

I ignored him as I sighed and walked out of the cave. The pair of ponies were in the same position they were when I entered. Time seemed to have returned to them as well. They sharply darted their eyes towards my new position and glared at me.

Well, if there's any possible upside to this, its that I'm finally at a hundred percent for the first time since the I came here.

I clenched my fist and surveyed my supply of energy. I released an evil chuckle as I found it to be full at last. I was still hesitant to engage them in battle, but atleast now I could display what real Firebending looked like.

Well then Mr. Flame of life, since you're connected to me and all, tell me. Do you feel any fear emitting from me?

Whatever you feel or don't feel won't affect the joy I shall have when I am released of your idiotic bantering!

I frowned again and looked towards the airborne ponies. I remembered that I had to pay them back for the humiliation they put me through. I glared them intently in the eye and took my stance, pleased at how pain-free it was this time. The contract even went and healed my fatigue.

Then I extended a hand out and signaled the pair to bring it on. They complied in full as they advanced at high speeds, a frown upon both their faces. They then halted as our match was interrupted by multiple distressed yells.

"HEEEELP!!!", screamed six voices in unison.

Here it comes.

I turned to look at the origin of the voices. Six brightly colored ponies ran out of the thick greenery and into a clearing, loud stomps echoing behind them.

Soon after, a huge towering serpent creature with multiple heads came bursting out in chase, its height rivaling that of the castle itself. The creatures heads let out a blood curdling shriek of absurd volume, its length rattling my ear drums.

My opponents gasped as the humongous creature began to gain on the fleeing ponies, one of them taking into the air. They ran frantically towards the castle's entrance.

With a loud thud, the pony covered in yellow tripped and fell onto its pink mane, triggering more loud gasps from the other five and the two besides me.

So you want me to fight that thing Mr. Flame of Life?

Hahaha! You sound awfully confident for a fragile human. Go ahead! Show me any variety of pitiful abilities you may have!

Well because you asked me so nicely... I guess I have to.

I lunged forward at the towering beasts direction, my body reaching the speed that I missed so much. However, it would not be enough to make it at this rate.

I recalled my earlier technique and shot a jet stream of fire behind me with my right hand, my speed accelerating quickly as air roughly brushed past my face.

The yellow pony cowered and covered her face as the creature stood towering before her. It swung one of its hideous jaws down in an attempt to clamp them down on her fragile body.

I intensified the jet stream of flames and rocketed towards the creature. When I was close enough, I shifted my right hand to my side which violently spun me around due to the heavy discharge of flames. Using the centrifugal force, I smashed a portion of its teeth with a devastating spin kick.

The attack effectively recoiled the attacking head back, successfully saving the pony. Then, with the added momentum given to me by the now dispersed jet stream, I advanced towards its soft belly and pounded it with a double flaming fist-strike.

It lazily stumbled back shrieking in pain as I looked on, my guard held high. It adjusted its ugly multiple-heads and locked its triple pair of eyes on me, its pupils glistening dangerously. It raised one of its stubby legs then stomped down in an attempt to flatten me. I swiftly evaded it with a high backflip and immediately took off towards it upon landing on my feet.

I kicked off its leg and onto its back, then with a hard leap I elevated upwards onto one of its necks and kicked off again. Soon, I arrived upon eye-level to one of its disgusting heads and glared it in the eye.

I called upon a formidable flare blitz to my fist and extended it behind me. An evil grin then formed itself across my face as the head opened its jaw and hauled its razor sharp teeth towards my airborne body.

"HYAARGH!!", I yelled in sheer effort as I flexed my arm and punched forward with all my might.

The very moment my fist and its tooth made contact, the flare blitz detonated into a mini explosion of fire, the head in front of me being effortlessly blown off.

Gravity then pulled me down as the mini explosion expanded into a ball of heat which engulfed the other two heads. The heads howled in pain while I watched from the ground.

I brought my fist to my mouth and blew on it before putting it in my pocket.

"Cooked lizard meat coming right up!", I blurted in triumph.

After a few moments, the sphere of heat disappeared, leaving behind two charred heads in addition to a lone blackened neck. The creature stood there in eerie suspense before massively tumbling down before me.

The fall triggered a cloud of dust which traveled outwards. I basked in a feeling of accomplishment as the dust blew by, I couldn't wait to hear what the Flame of Life had to say. I chuckled in anticipation for his acknowledgement.

Hellooo~ Mr. Flame of Life~

My arrogant call was met with silence. Even he must have been impressed, I did try to show off as much as I possibly could and all. My stunt was flashy, but put me at great risk. I was faced with a thirty percent chance of being bit in half and swallowed whole. Not to mention the fact that this flare blitz move is utterly exhausting.

Even so, I wanted to wipe that smug attitude right off of his annoying tone.

Mr. Flame of Life!!

What!?

Aha! I knew you were there, so what do you think?

I never expected a mere human to put on such a display, but don't let it get to your head. A hydra is child's play. Even one of those alicorns you faced could have defeated it.

So that's what those two are? I thought they were just ponies.

Gah!... never mind boy! Just leave me be, it's grim enough that I'm forced to wait a while longer before your pitiful death.

I frowned at his persistent tone which breamed with stubbornness. This was going to be a hard life.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips as I gazed down at my work. Boy, I sure messed that ugly thing up. Good thing I learned this flare blitz move from that mysterious old man on my sixteenth birthday. Don't personally like it though, too destructive for my tastes.

I let out a loud victorious laugh. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time anything went my way since I came to this world. Lets just hope it stayed that way.

With that being taken care of, I turned around and extended my hand towards the yellow pony to help her up. My gentle act was met with a loud terrified scream and dust to my face as the pony ran off towards its friends.

They eyeballed me with caution as I deadpanned right back.

Can't they see I just saved them!?

Didn't I tell you to leave me be?

So im not even allowed to think with you freeloading in here??

No. Also it is your fault that they were attacked. That hydra sought to harness my power but couldn't figure out how to bypass the heat. Your little stroke of fate enraged it.

oh... well in that case, I'll try and converse with them.

I don't care.

Ignoring his fit of rudeness, I looked towards the yellow one and made sure to establish eye contact before speaking.

"Umm excuse me, but I just did sort of... you know.. saved your life..?" I said sarcastically.

All six of them widened their eyes in astonishment at my ability to speak. I made a mental note to expect that look every time I spoke to anyone around here.

They all glanced at each other before the purple one which must've also been an "alicorn" stepped forward.

"Pardon me but.. what exactly are you?" she timidly asked on behalf of all of them.

"You have probably never heard of my species. Buuuut, I can tell you what I am not, which is hostile," I said as I glared at the larger alicorns. They awkwardly averted their gazes, the dark one scratching her unnatural hair.

"That.. was.... AWESOME!" screamed the cyan colored pony as she burst into the air. Her hair was colored as brightly as a rainbow, and she flew so fast that my eyes could barely keep up.

Her friends gave her an irritated look which she replied to by apologetically drifting back to the ground.

"Hehe... sorry," she apologized with lowered ears and a nervous smile.

"You girls wouldn't happen to be from Ponyville would you?" I asked, ignoring their little comedy skit. They all gave me a wary look and hesitantly nodded.

I blinked in nice surprise and suddenly, a bright pink pony was mere inches from my face. I yelped and jumped back as she began her hyperactive ramblings.

"Oooh! Are you coming to Ponyville!? We can throw you a welcome to our delicious-looking and highly-flammable town PARTY!!!" she enthusiastically yelled into my ear.

"Wow hold on' there Pinkeh', how do ya' reckon we can trust it?" added the orange one with a cheesy western accent. She was already beginning to rub me the wrong way.

The pink colored pony named "Pinkeh" briefly contemplated her statement and shrugged. "I dont!!" she loudly answered.

Quite the smart one, she was.

"Now, now Applejack. I'm sure that he really did just want to save someone in need. How could someone with such nice intentions possibly be a bad person?" gently scolded the pony that I saved. At least she seemed to display common sense unlike her cowgirl friend.

"Fluttershy's right, darling. He does seem like quite the gentlecolt compared to that hydra..", agreed the one colored in a stainless white.

Gentlecolt...?

These weird brightly colored ponies sure had odd slang. I looked at them quizzically, the way they argued with each other was surprisingly charming, but slightly annoying. Either way, they were my ticket to finding shelter.

"Ehhmm, can any of you escort me to it? I was told by a good friend that I could find shelter there." I explained.

"ILL DO IT!!!!" yelled "Pinkeh".

She happily skipped in a certain direction as I looked on, she was impossible to predict. I then turned to her friends who were exchanging uncertain expressions. Behind them were the alicorn pair, they seemed surprisingly neutral to the situation after almost killing me earlier.

I shrugged and began to follow behind the pink pony, the others soon hesitantly  trailing behind.

I'm not sure if it's their explosive personalities or the extremely bizarre situation as a whole, but I can already tell things are going to go horribly wrong. Don't you agree, best buddy?

Shut up.
> Multi-colored madness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  After a slow paced travel of unexpected silence, me and my wacky companions finally left the forest. As much as I would've loved to go deeply into detail about how happy I was to leave that super dangerous place, there were other things crossing my mind.

And for good reason too, its certainly not everyday that you could be sober and see what I was currently seeing.

A good distance in front of me was a town, but not just any normal looking town. 

The blasted place was swarming with ponies so brightly colored, that I was certain I would die of epilepsy if I made the mistake of running through it.

Dear Sozin, they were on the ground, in the air, in their homes. Speaking of their homes, the majority were made of more hay and cotton than actual house-making materials. I seriously wouldn't want to be here during a tornado... or any natural disaster for that matter. 

To sum it all into a brief point, this was far from what I imagined their civilization would look like. But then again, I never pictured myself speaking with sentient ponies either. 

I glanced over at my escorts who were all keeping a watchful eye on me. Did they really think I would be able to attack a place that looked like something you'd see by drinking desert cactus juice? Actually, why did they bring me in the first place if they didnt trust me!? 

Sigh

"So, wont they all freak out if I just casually walk in?" I asked while pointing at the town. They simply stared back at me in uncertainty. 

Ok, this needed a change of pace.

"Erherm, sorry I haven't introduced myself correctly yet, have I? My name is Kurama Li Feng, it is my pleasure to meet you all." I said with a polite bow.

Their expressions slightly softened at my display of hospitality and one by one they began to introduce themselves as well.

"Kurama!? That's the funniest name I've ever heard!!" laughed "Pinkeh"as she rolled on the ground.

Her fit of laughter was met by a glaring look from the purple alicorn. "Pinkeh" then abruptly ceased her laughter and turned towards me.

"My names Pinkie pie! Nice to meet you!" she boomed with a wide smile. She was so random, hyper, and blunt, plus negativity appeared to be nonexistent no matter how deeply you delved into her bright blue eyes. Without a doubt, she was the most positive individual ive ever met.

"Um.. My name is Fluttershy.." timidly interrupted the yellow pony. "Thank you for saving me.."

I turned to look at her. She was averting her gaze and trembling slightly, also her voice was so fragile that my ears nearly couldn't make out what she said. I guess she was still too shy to talk to me directly.

I shook my head in disagreement before answering. "Don't mention it, I couldn't just stay back and watch an innocent creature get hurt." I said with a kind tone.

As she heard my reasoning, a small smile formed itself across her face. 

"I can relate." she added with a much more comfortable expression. She was a very pleasant individual. I could already tell by her personality that she would never do so much as hurt a fly.

The purple alicorn appeared to be next as she trotted over to me.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle! It is also my pleasure to meet you.. 'Kurama' was it?" she asked.

I nodded and shook the hoof which she had extended. 

"Now that we've got that out of the way... what sort of magic was that!? Was it dragon magic? How did you learn it? Where did you come from? Do you have a vertebrae?? How many-," I interrupted her merciless bombardment of questions with my finger.

"We can go over that later, I have a lot of questions I want to ask about you too," I said as her expression sunk. She was mostly composed but now I knew she had a rude thirst for knowledge. Lets just hope that things wont get out of hand.

Her cyan friend then zipped into the air and dashed towards me, her velocity being way too exaggerated for those small fragile-looking wings of hers. After a series of air stunts, she came to a skillful halt directly in front of me.

"Im Rainbow Dash, the fastest, most AWESOME mare in all Equestria!" she boasted into my face while intensely throwing her front hooves up into the air. She was a formidable contender for first place, but she still lost in narcissism to good ol' Flamie.

"I see, nice to meet you Ms. Fastest mare," I flattered while extending my hand out. She shook it with an arrogant smirk on her face. She may get annoying after a while, but even I had to admit that she had every right to boast. She was the fastest creature I had met so far. It actually sort of unnerved me how she could manage that speed without a need for eye protection. 

My train of thought was interrupted by a tug at the back of my pants. I looked down towards a white colored pony.

"Dear me, this fabric! Where did you get such a beautiful white silk? And this cape! It simply compliments all movement!" she praised.

"Oh uuh, thanks. I just bought it at some rundown shop, haha," I nervously answered.

She gave me a baffled look as she further inspected it. 

"Why this is simply divine!"

After a couple more moments of investigating my clothing, she snapped out of her trance and gazed at me apologetically.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Rarity." she said with a friendly smile which I returned. For a creature that went around naked, she was oddly enticed by clothing. Also her hair was tended to carefully, who knew how long she spent in the mirror fixing it every morning.

"Do you mind if I took this back with me? I'd just adore the chance to add some creative features to it!" she requested.

"Normally I'd say yes.. buuut its sort of the only piece of clothing I have," I replied. 

She gasped loudly at my answer.

"Oh you poor thing! Lets go whip something up for you right this instant!" she pestered. It seems she was as overly dramatic as she was generous.

"No, no that's quite alright." I assured.

Before she could further insist, the orange pony with a fedora put a hoof to her mouth.

"Rarity! Whats ta' say he wont jus' burn all yer fancy fabric to the ground!?" she barked.

I rolled my eyes and deadpanned at her. She was brutally honest when it came to sharing her doubts towards others. But she should learn to give others a chance before immediately labeling them as trouble.

"Oh COME OON Applejack! He's a good guy!" argued Rainbow Dash. "If it wasn't for him, Fluttershy would be swimming in Hydra stomach juice by now!" she finished.

"I dun know. Just keep im' away from MAH' Apples!" replied Applejack while pointing a hoof in my direction. 

I tried my best to put on an innocent smile as she made her rude accusations. 

"Who me? Burn? pfft, why would you say such a mean thing? Even after I risked my own behind to save you and your friends from that scary monster?" I said with a hint of fake sadness.

My teasing words seemed to have struck her way deeper than I ever imagined it would as she averted her gaze towards the ground in guilt. I looked on in confusion while she pondered something, surely a counter statement, right?

She looked back up towards me and trotted over in a slow heart-felt manner.

"Yer right... sorry fer mah' rudeness. Mah name's Applejack, if ya ever need sum nice ripe apples jus' give me a holler." she said extending her hoof.

I was caught off guard by her sudden change in attitude, like... wow, that was quick, too quick, but it appeared to be a good thing. I nodded and shook her hoof.

"Apples huh? It would indeed be nice to have one once in a while, thank you Applejack," I responded. She tipped her fedora and moved aside. My eyebrow soon raised at the two alicorns that were making their way towards me.

"My name is princess Celestia"

"And my name is princess Luna"

I gave them a bit of a confused look. 

"Princess..?"

Twilight took notice of my puzzled expression and rushed to lean into my ear.

"They're the ones who rule all of Equestria!" she sharply whispered. 

My eyes widened at the realization. These two were the ones who ruled everything here!? I swiftly turned towards them and bowed down.

"My apologies for the small scuffle we had earlier, your highnesses," I bewailed while nervously sweating. 

I've had my fair share of lessons to know NEVER to anger the royal family back at home. I wasn't sure how the royal family took care of things here, but better safe than executed am I right?

I glanced back up at them in anticipation for the worst. However, they both had troubled expressions upon their muzzles . Luna put a hoof on my shoulder and beckoned me to get up, which I did.

"There is no need to bow, after all it was our exaggerated jump to conclusions that began the mess," she said. I was completely baffled by her kindness. I was convinced that all royalty was snot-nosed and spoiled like it was in my nation.

I scratched my head and awkwardly shifted my gaze to the side. Then I looked back at them and smiled as I extended both hands.

"Truce?" I asked.

"Truce." they simultaneously responded while extending their own hoofs. The two princesses shot me a heart-warming smile as we shook hoofs and hands. With that, we got the introductions out of the way.

I found it strange though, every single one of them had their own unique and charming personalities, it was also my first time meeting others who were this true to themselves and their surroundings.

Back in my home, society was plagued by distrust, greed, and intolerance of others. No one could truly be themselves for everything was just an endless pool of deception, a deception which I was given a front row seat to experience. But these bunch were just so bright and... accepting of who they were. 

It was blindingly so, radiantly so, beautifully so. They were so happy and sappy that it made me cringe.

However, I felt like I could learn a thing or two from them, I also wondered if I could even be that way at all. If I just looked in front of me more often, would I be able to move forward at the speed in which they seemed to be able to? I glanced down at my markings and gave them a slight rub. In truth, ever since I remembered my past, I have been craving for revenge.

And to not be consumed by it, up until now I had been trying my damnedest to convince myself that I was fine with how things turned out. But that was a foolish mindset to begin with wasn't it? How could I be fine with having my world turned completely upside down and brutally stomped on, crushed along with my naïve take on reality? Then having it firmly gashed apart and spat on by my so called "Family and Friends"?

Heh.

That was the part that irked me the most. Their horrific, disgusting grins as they watched my horrendous execution. The delight which was present on their wretched expressions when they first took sight of my broken self. Just recalling that maniacal look in their wide empty eyes churned my stomach, but not as much as their eager chant to bring forth my absurd demise. That part definitely took the cake.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and clenched my fist. I was still alive, and that alone was their biggest mistake, that they failed in truly killing me. 

Twilight then let out a loud gasp which assisted in snapping me out of my daze.

"WE FORGOT ABOUT THE TREE OF HARMONY!!" she panicked. Everyone, except me and the princesses, turned towards her in mutually shocked realization.

Tree of Harmony? Do they mean you?

Hah, surely you jest! Don't you dare compare me to those foolish Elements of Harmony!

What are the Elements of Harmony?

Do not pester me regarding such trivial subjects when you can simply ask the alicorns, brat!

I took his sweet, loving advice as I shifted towards Twilight.

"What's the Tree of Harmony?" I asked.

"No time to explain!" she answered.

"Princess Celestia and princess Luna! What happened regarding that second Tree of Harmony!?" She questioned impatiently, her friends also looking on intently in anticipation for an answer.

"About that.." began Celestia. "...we are unsure as to what happened, but the Tree disappeared as swiftly as it came," she finished.

The six looked on with staggered expressions.

S-... should I tell them?

Why do you insist on involving yourself with me to this degree? You and your actions are nothing for which I should waste my concern. 

You're quite the smooth sailor aren't you?

Your annoying sense of humor is ESPECIALLY unbecoming. 

I pouted and directed my attention back to Twilight. I guess ill just tell them, its not like the voice jerk gave a spark whether I told them or the world from the looks of it.

"Eehmm, I sort of... broke it." I hesitantly admitted.

They all dropped their jaws in shock and stared at me in silence.

"You.... BROKE IT!?" yelled Twilight.

"Well, not 'broke'... more like fused with it." I corrected. They were all having trouble comprehending what I was trying to get across.

"What do you mean?" asked Luna.

"I suppose you girls wouldn't know what the Flame of Life is right?" I clarified.

They all steadily shook their heads with Celestia being the only exception.

"Did you say the Flame of Life!?" she asked a bit out of tone. I turned to her and deliberately nodded. She then placed a hoof to her chin and began to think to herself. 

"Before Luna was born, my mother used to tell me tales and lullabies regarding The Flame of Life. She always took great precaution in warning me that when the time comes, I was be the one to fuse with it to ensure it did not fall into the wrong hoof." she explained.

I deeply regarded what she said. Was this jerk really that important? I once again directed my attention towards her and her bewildered subjects.

"Well whatever the case, you can rest assured that it isn't in the wrong... hoofs." I responded.

"Well DUH silly! That's because you don't HAVE hoofs!!" snickered Pinkie. I rolled my eyes at her inconsiderate joke and corrected myself.

"Hands. It isn't in the wrong hands".

Twilight then cupped up my left hand with her hoofs.

"Hmm, so you call these strange things hands? Interesting.... woah what are these?" she questioned.

"Those are called knuckles," I answered in irritation.

"What are they for?" she asked while closely examining them.

"Beats me."

I then turned and looked towards Ponyville.

"So are we just going to go in?" I asked, changing the subject. They looked at each other as they finally pondered over what it is that we should do.

"OH, OH!! You can come stay with m-"

"No thanks." I interrupted before she could finish. Im not sure i'd be allowed to sleep at night with Pinkie as my roommate.

I looked towards the other five, they all shrugged which told me that their homes were all off limits. 

"You can come stay at the royal palace Kurama," suggested Celestia. Everyone, me included, snapped our necks towards her in shock.

"Are you sure??" asked both me and Twilight in unison. 

"Yes. I am not sure how my citizens would react to something like Kurama, which is why I will keep his existence limited to the castles chambers until the appropriate time presents itself."

They all seemed quite fine with her reasoning after thinking it over amongst themselves.

"Awesome! So where is this palace?" I asked.

"It resides in the capitol of Equestria, formally known as Canterlot," replied Luna.

"Ok, so how do we get there?"

"Me and my sister shall take you there ourselves." answered Celestia as she unfurled her wings. 

"Wait, we're flying there?"

The sisters nodded, Celestia motioning me to sit on her back. This felt like something out of a grand epic. Still, I wasn't going to pass up this chance to ride a freaking flying steed!

I sat on her back, surprised at the fact that my weight didn't faze her one bit. 

"Well then Kurama, i'll come and visit you tomorrow!" said Twilight. 

"Oh I know, i'll bake you a 'welcome to the vulnerable and easily-ignitable insides of the royal palace cake'!!" enthusiastically added Pinkie Pie. 

Quite the sarcastic little pink shit, wasn't she? Excuse my language by the way.

"I'll show ya some of my trophies!!" bragged Rainbow Dash.

"Ima bring ya' sum of granny Smiths apple tarts!" chimed in Applejack.

"I for one, will be bringing all the equipment I need to ensure you NEVER have to wear the same outfit EVER again, darling!" dramatically declared Rarity. 

"..And ill introduce you to angel!" softly spoke Fluttershy.

I gazed at them with a puzzled expression, just what in the emperors name were they planning?

"Why?" I asked.

To this, they simply looked at each other and happily nodded.

"Because youre our friend silly!" excitedly beamed Pinkie Pie. 

I remained silent, finding it a bit hard to believe. They've just met me and already thought of me as a friend? Hah! It had to be some sort of lie. But.. no matter how hard I looked into their warm expressions, I couldn't find a shred of deceit.

Something must have been wrong with me. For some reason I felt like it wouldn't be a bad thing to trust individuals like.. them. That I wouldn't have minded if they came tommorow and drove me crazy with their non-stop chattering. I then quickly shook the thought out of my head, their sappiness must've been contagious or something.

A wide, slightly forced grin formed itself across my face as I began to wave goodbye, it was hard to accustom myself to all this cheerfulness. It was just too different a change from where I used to live.

"I'll be looking forward to it!" I politely replied.

With that, Celestia took into the air, almost making me fall off. Once we were pretty high up, I glanced down at Twilight and the others who were waving and seeing me off.

With a thrilling burst of speed, me, Celestia, and Luna began our flight towards my new residence. I deeply inhaled some of the fresh, high altitude air, my spirit being weirdly at an all time high.

I didn't know why, but I felt like maybe, just maybe.. fate hadn't yet abandoned me.

> Luxurious new home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "Mother of all palaces!"

After roughly half an hour of blood-pumping flight, my new home came fashionably into view. It was made up of a complex-looking architectural design which simply hypnotized the eye. Much more impressive was its size. Being roughly a third of the colossal chunk of rock behind it, the palace was without a shred of doubt, the biggest building I have ever seen.

Even the palace at home failed to compare to this beautiful structure. Some of the building material also seemed to have been made of solid gold!!

Never in my life had I dreamed that I would hold residence to such a radiant place as this! I felt like a small child again as I tried my hardest to not pump my fists into the air in a fit of pure excitement.

We got closer and closer, the narrowing proximity constantly breaking my guesses as to how big the castle ultimately was. I then took a look below me.

There were multitudes of ponies going around their daily businesses, some had wings, others had horns, others resembled Zecora by the fact that they had neither. I was going to make sure that I went over this with Twilight along with many other things I had in mind.

But for now, I planned on enjoying this one in a hundred life times chance! Maybe a million life times when you considered the whole situation from start to finish.

Celestia gracefully landed on the highest porch of the palace, Luna following soon after.

"This place is amazing!", I loudly complimented as I got off. 

The princesses smiled, Celestia's horn then beginning to glow. She closed her eyes and pointed her horn upwards, the sun then rapidly sinking out of sight. Luna's horn began to glow too as she assumed the same pose as her sister.

When she did so, a moon swiftly rose up from seemingly no where. I looked on in utmost confusion as the two sisters casually trotted past me, expecting me to follow.

"Wait!", I began, the two alicorns then glancing back at me.

"What just happened??", I asked, my face not even sure of what expression to take. They glanced at each other in confusion before Luna responded.

"My sister lowered the sun and I raised the moon as per usual."

My jaw dropped in utter disbelief. Did she really just say that nonsense? No matter how you look at it, there is no possible way that anything could possibly do that, no matter how weird the dimension.

I then laughed, that being the only way I could know to react to such an absurd claim.

"Hahaha, good one!", I laughed, rudeness of course not being my intention.

They seemed beyond confused at my fit of laughter. Surely they thought that their joke was funny too right? If not, then why did they tell it in the first place?

"Kurama, we are unsure as to what is so humorous.", pointed out Luna.

I ceased my laughter and wiped a tear from my eye. 

"What do you mean? That was supposed to be a joke right?"

Luna shook her head in disagreement as her horn began to glow again. She trotted back over to the edge of the porch and pointed her horn upwards. The moon began to zip and zoom around the sky, my doubts being completely destroyed in the process. 

After a small while, it returned to its former position as Luna's horn also went back to normal.

My eyes widened at her display of mastery over the astronomical object. Before I could fall into a state of complete shock, I shook my head and sharply turned towards the two sisters.

"Are... you two supposed to be some sort of GODS!?", I asked horribly out of tone. They mildly flinched at my flabbergasted and loud question, their faces then taking to troubled expressions once again.

"That is a.. bit of a stretch don't you think?", asked Luna.

The only thing that is a stretch is you guys!!

I found it a bit difficult to instantly get over the fact that these two had mastery over the sun and moon. Any ruler that could manage feats like that would be seen as gods no matter how crazy the empire.

I walked over to Celestia and gazed suspiciously into her eyes. These two must have been at least a tad bit power hungry right? In the fire nation, there isn't a single man or woman that wouldn't go crazy over power with just a little bit of authority. These two not only ruled everything here, but also raised the sun and the moon.

With that sort of influence, who knows what they could accomplish. 

I delved deeply into her eyes, I could tell that she was way beyond used to keeping her neutral expression when she needed it. She was skilled at blocking off all emotion and her true personality was probably only available to a small few, me not yet included. But to the least, I didn't get any bad vibes from her.

I sighed in defeat and gave her a wide grin. 

"You two are much more amazing than you take credit for!", I beamed. They didn't seem to ever think of themselves as higher than anybody else, even though they had every right to do so.

They looked at each other nervously and began to lead the way. I followed closely behind them as we entered into the palace.

The insides were just as spectacular as the outside, the walls having been adjourned with elegant decorations and painted a lovely shade of purple. We continued to tread down a hallway and down a set of stairs as I looked around me in awe.

Once we finished descending, the first room we encountered was the throne room. It was very wide and spacey with a red carpet leading from the thrones to a set of double doors.

Stationed on both sides of the thrones were two ponies colored in a magnificent white, both wearing gold armor. Gold. Freaking. Armor! It was my first time seeing gold so up close, I couldn't help but stare as they also took notice of me.

Their eyes went wide as they both looked towards the princesses in anticipation to an explanation.

"Summon everyone to the assembly room at once!", ordered Luna. "We have something to announce."

The two guards gulped and practically ran out of the room. Judging from how mildly they reacted... or appeared to react, they must have been quite the professionals.

Luna and Celestia trotted down towards the set of double doors and motioned me to follow. I complied as I took a good look at the red carpet below me. It was made of a fabric that seemed to embrace my feet with some sort of comfortable feeling.

So this is what its like to live as royalty..

We exited the throne room and turned to our lefts. Then we traveled down a long hallway and took another left. We paced forward and walked into a room on our rights. Inside it was a large quantity of seats with a grand looking stage at the far end of it.

We walked towards the stage and climbed its stairs, the two sisters then taking me behind the curtains.

"Alright Kurama, you are to remain here until we give you the signal to emerge.", instructed Celestia.

I nodded in acknowledgement and walked over to a small chair. I admired its expensive looking design and sat on it. They then trotted out of the curtains and left me to myself.

I looked around my medium sized enclosure of fabrics, everything did indeed seem to be outrageously expensive. I wondered how crazy Rarity would get if she ever took sight of it. Picturing such a scene made me release a chuckle.

I abruptly shook my head and forced the thought out of my head. Why did those bunch immediately come into mind for?? I seriously must have been going crazy.

I shifted my feet and closely inspected the floor to distract myself, it was covered in a dark violet rug which somehow magically sparkled. That reminded me, Twilight did say something about magic.

Was that the weird gleaming power that Celestia and Luna possessed? If that was the case, then do all ponies possess it or just a select few?

Whatever the case was, I had already seen first hand what it could do. It might have even been more destructive than fire bending.. but... I probably shouldn't make too many assumptions. Its not like I was the greatest fire bender or anything. I could barely compare to the generals, much less the emperors, when it came to pure mastery over fire.

However, I was confident in my hand to hand combat if that amounted to anything... which it really didn't when your opponent could singe you in an instant.

I sighed and rubbed the side of my head. I just wanted to start training once again as soon as possible, I had a lot of room for improvement and in a world like this, much improvement is precisely what ill need.

I looked towards the curtains, my mind then realizing something. 

It was all sorts of boring in here. Just how was I supposed to pass the time until everyone in this huge palace gathered here? I rubbed my chin in thought. 

I could try bothering a certain jerk in my head, but I feel like that would only put me in a bad mood. Speaking of him, I think he might have been the reason why I was invited here to begin with.

Its very likely Celestia is simply trying to keep a close eye on me, the mighty contractor of the Flame of Sass. Come to think of it, I could use this jerk to my advantage. 

If he's that important, I could just use him as a ticket to get whatever I wanted... or not. I really didn't care about any of that. Furthermore, he has probably already been seen as just an object for the entirety of his life. 

"Hmmm."

Actually, that would be pretty messed up... maybe all that Mr. Flame of Grump here needed was a good pal. Well, its worth a try.

Mr. Flame of life, can I ask you something?

No. Leave me be.

Do you have a name? I feel like "the Flame of Life" is way too objective.

I have no need for a name, I am simply the Flame of Life. Nothing more, nothing less.

In that case ill call you Disem, its short for disembodied voice.

...You. Do you truly think that you can simply NAME me as if you were my superior!? ME? The Flame of Life?

 Blah Blah Blah, I named you so that we could be friends! Nothing about superior or inferior. As my NEW friend, we are equals. Anyways, the names pretty clever eh?

What did you just say to me!? You want to be my "friend"!? Do not spew such nonsense. I have existed for hundreds of thousands of years and no fool has ever attempted to be my "friend"! Are you mad!?

Disem ive been wondering for a while now, do we share all of our five senses?

...Grr you insolent brat! May the day when I am rid of you come swiftly. 

Oh come on Disem, lighten up a little will ya? we're buddies now!

......

Hello.....?

......

Wow, the jerk stopped answering. Well, I guess ill just leave the grumpy asshat alone for now. Sheesh, his rudeness will never cease to put me in a bad mood, but ill be patient for now.

I yawned as I continued to look around the area for a second time, then a third.. then a fourth...

"Arrrgh! Its sooo boring!", I complained to evidently no one. I pouted at the silence and took a small peek outside. There wasn't anyone yet in sight.

I slumped my shoulders and walked back over to the annoyingly small chair, my ears then slightly rising up as they picked up a slight murmur.

The murmur then turned into multiple whispers and mutters which originated from outside the curtains. My expression lightened up at the noise, for it meant that others were finally coming in.

Soon, the slight noises were that of a huge conversing crowd. It seemed that everyone came at the same time in an orderly fashion.

Princess Luna entered into the curtain and reminded me not to come out until told to do so. I eagerly nodded and leaned into my small chair, almost falling off. Luna retreated back outside, the place then going silent.

I listened on as what I could make out as Celestia's voice, began a speech.

"My dear and loyal subjects, I have brought you here today regarding a crucial announcement. As of this pleasant evening, a new friend shall join us in the confines of the palace walls. He is a bit different from some of us, but please take into account that he has heroically saved the lives of one of my most loyal subjects. While I can assure you that he means us no harm, I will not be able to oversee much of his stay. Thus, I will faithfully ensure that task to all of you, for he is an undoubted friend to all of pony kind."

She was a natural at this, just how long had she been doing this? And did she think this speech up on the spot?? She effortlessly made me sound like some sort of epic pony hero with mere twists of the tongue. It was seriously impressive!

"And without further a do, I now introduce you to this friend", she finished.

That was definitely my cue to come out. I got up from my chair and walked over to the curtain, I briefly stood still and took a deep breath.

After I gathered my nerves, I sprung out into the open, the large crowd of at least 500 then gasping at the sight of me. Celestia nodded towards the crowd and they all began hesitant claps. The clapping soon intensified into a decent display, but not anything that really expressed enthusiasm at my being here.

Did I really think it would go another way?

I facepalmed before walking over to the microphone. Celestia gladly handed... or hoofed it over as I gazed down at the huge crowd.

"My name is Kurama Li Feng, starting today I will be in your care.", I announced while politely bowing my head. They weren't buying it for one bit as they stared at me in silence.

I rolled my eyes and made way for Luna as she took the microphone and also spoke a brief part of her own.

"I expect our dearest subjects to see to it that he has no unwanted inconveniences. With this, you are all hereby dismissed."

The numerous crowd of ponies all left their seats and slowly trotted towards the exit, the majority still eyeing me intently. These pony folks were not very adjusted to new things were they?

Celestia trotted over to me and took notice of my not very amused expression.

"Give it time Kurama, I am sure they will open up to you soon enough.", she comforted.

Its not like I really cared, I just found it a bit annoying. Ponies were evidently very tolerant when it came to other ponies, but had trust issues against anything else. 

"I wonder why..", I whispered to myself as I glanced over at Celestia. She was speaking to one of the guards about something. Once she was finished, she turned back towards my moody self.

"Before you are escorted to your new chambers, how would you like to have dinner with us? Though you may find it a bit unappealing in some areas.", she proposed.

I immediately shook my head in acceptance. I was beginning to get hungry, plus even if I wasn't, I was in no way about to pass up a meal of royal quality.

I enthusiastically followed behind her, my stomach quietly rumbling in eagerness. After going up a few stairs and walking down an absurdly long hallway, we arrived at another set of double doors. She swung it open, revealing a fancy dining hall.

Inside of the hall lay a black carpet which led to an elongated dining table. Most seats were taken by important looking ponies who were all in suits. The nobles I guess.

They were intensely debating something before it was all brought to silence by both mine and Celestia's presence. I looked around and saw that Luna was no where to be seen, meaning it was just us and these noble folk.

I watched while Celestia took to her expressionless face and trotted over to the grandest seat at the end of the table. Next to it on the edge was a seat which she must have set up for me earlier.

We both took our designated seats as the nobles eyed me thoroughly. On the other side across from me sat a surprisingly overweight noble wearing a tie which was a tad bit too small for him. He was colored in an unbecoming brown and had the typical "im better than everyone" sort of expression.

"Dearest princess Celestia, may I ask you as to why you have brought that thing along?", he asked with quite the disgusted tone.

Celestia kept her straight face as she turned to him.

"His residence wasn't formerly expected, thus he shall dine with us for today. Does that dissatisfy you Mr. Diamond Plate?", she asked with a stern tone.

"As long as your highness serves to keep her little pet in check it shall be of no concern to us", he replied smugly.

Now I knew what Celestia meant by "unappealing". I sort of felt sorry for her, to have to dine with such a spoiled cabbage. I couldn't hope to imagine the stress.

A waiter then began to give out the food. Everyone was given the same plate of highly enticing potato salad with a side of gleaming fruits and vegetables. Everything seemed to have been prepared with so much care and delicacy, that I was certain that if the lights went out it would glow in the dark.

We all began to chow down on our plates. I for one, going for the potato salad first. I took a mouthful and shuddered at the quality and taste, the properties seeming to melt on my tongue.

"Erherm. Well then princess, me and a few...uncooperative others were just discussing the current tax which you had long set on our beautiful citizens..", began the rude overweight noble. I glanced across from me and towards him as I continued to munch on the potato salad.

"..They were very neutral to the matter, but I for one believe that nopony would object if you raised it just a tad higher.", he finished.

Nopony?

Celestia along with a few others, rolled their eyes at his proposal. It was most likely a constantly occurring thing for this guy to propose such things.

"We have went over this countless times already Mr. Diamond Plate. I have no intent on raising the current tax and effectively destroying the lives of those who are already struggling to get by.", answered Celestia, her expression still unfazed.

"Ooh, and this is why I must simply insist every time your highness. My salary-.. our citizens would surely pay no mind to a slight increase, don't you believe so? Everypony simply idolizes you, your highness. Who cares about a few loose ends here in there when they would gladly comply with anything you say?"

Whats with that?

This guys vocabulary was getting on my nerves. Plus, that settled it, he wasn't your everyday spoiled cabbage, no sir he was a real example of what you would call a greedy scumbag. It was now that I seriously DID feel sorry for poor ol' Celly. And it wasn't just her, no one at the table seemed to be a big fan of the guy either.

Celestia gave him a nice, chilling stare before answering.

"I have stayed true to my beliefs before, and I do the same now. It is of no use to continue the topic.", she coldly replied.

The pesky guy didn't even seem close to giving up as he loudly gulped down food and opened his mouth once again.

"Princess I know that I am pestering you, but it is for the good of my pocket-... good of all Equestria that I choose to bother you with such a topic. I truly insist, for I assure you that everypony would gladly hand it over for you, your majesty."

Every...pony? Gaaah.

If he opened his mouth again I was going to speak up. There's just something about this guys words that were seriously irking me, not to mention the fact that he is making absolutely zero efforts to cover up the ulterior motives slipping through his speech. Was he really serious about this??

I glanced over at Celestia, her left eye swiftly yet slightly twitched. It seems she was getting dangerously worked up by his pestering. I turned towards the furball and noticed that he was about to speak up again. I seriously wasn't going to be able to take it anymore.

"Furthermore your highness, everypony would simply-"

"You know.. you can just say anybody..", interrupted a voice,  Mr. Diamond Plate abruptly going silent.

"....Instead of anypony?"

Everyone quickly glanced towards me as I continued.

"Frankly, I don't see what the point of that is...". Diamond Plate or whatever eyed me with a bewildered expression as I kept going.

"....She would've known what you had meant, if you had just said anybody.. seems to me like whoever thought that up had some serious cultural issues.", I finished.

After a moment of silence, the table burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, he was totally the one who enforced that too!", laughed a noble at the far end of the table. 

"It was about time that somebody, pointed that out to him!", laughed another noble around the mid-section of the table. Diamond Plate's face flushed red with hot anger as I glanced over at Celestia. 

She was doing her best to conceal her giggling behind her elegant hoof while the table continued to roar in laughter.

I shrugged and continued to chow down on my plate. I was serious, but I guess that this was also a pleasant change of pace with these pesky ponies. The angered look on his face as he continued to glare at me was also a bonus.

"Why, I never! Princess may I ask that you teach your hideous little pet proper manners?", coldly requested Diamond Plate.

I glared at him and answered in her behalf.

"Her majesty's little pet can speak for itself, or do you need somepony to spell that out for you?", I taunted, my remark being met with more laughter.

At this point he seemed ready to explode.

"Do not think I will let you get away with such disrespect!", he menacingly hissed. I rolled my eyes and pointed my fork in his direction, at this point I had accepted the match of verbal insults, my next response made with the intent of going in for the kill.

"What are you gonna do? Wrap me in that petite tie of yours? Or is it only petite by comparison?", I smugly replied. Some of the nobles were now rolling on the ground in their relentless fit of laughter.

"You better watch your back you putrid beast!!", he snarled as he attempted to run out of the room. His fat behind took a few solid seconds to even reach the doors before he exited them.

I huffed and finished my plate.

Then I turned to Celestia who was now quietly laughing to herself, which was quite the charming sight. Must've been the species.. but I figured that it was better for her to be herself at times.

"You know, you look way better with a nice big smile on your face", I said. 

She stopped her small bit of laughter and looked at me with a surprised expression. 

"Well, its not like I blame you. Some of your subjects are so frustratingly hopeless, I really don't know how you could deal with them. Buuut, it wouldn't hurt to at least show me that awesome smile of yours more often, your highness.", I teased, a cheesy smile forming itself upon my face.

Her eyes widened a bit at my unexpected remark and she shifted her gaze to the side. I chose to not drag this out any further just in the case that she felt uncomfortable. I simply didn't want her to go through the trouble of keeping her guard up around me. For one thing, I certainly wasn't anything like that furry beach ball from earlier.

I slumped back on my chair and yawned. The laughter finally died down after a while as nobles finished their plates. After a few minutes of casual chit-chat, some began to get up and leave.

I yawned again and glanced over at Celestia, she was in a mild state of thought.

"So, may I be given permission to go to my sleeping chambers?", I asked, which snapped her out of her daze.

"Y-yes, I apologize about that.", she responded. She turned to a guard and motioned him to come over. He came and immediately nodded in comprehension at the sight of me.

"Please follow me, sir.", he said as he began to lead the way. I got up and followed after him, fatigue beginning to consume me. Before I closed the doors behind me, I waved goodbye to Celestia.

She seemed to be distracted, so I proceeded to shut the doors and follow the guard to my chambers. 

I yawned once again while I followed him and soon, we arrived to the designated area. He politely bowed before returning to his post and leaving me to myself.

I lazily opened the door and closed it behind me, not even bothering to turn on the lights and admire my new room as I plopped face down onto my huge comfy bed.

Today had probably been the most eventful day of my life. Way too many crazy things happened and for the sake of not going insane, my brain was seriously in need of some good old fashioned "shutting the hell down".

I closed my eyes as sleep began to take me as its prisoner, this time in particular being way faster than ever before. A relaxed sigh slowly escaped me in the process.

Goodnight Disem.

Quiet, fool.

A smile crept up onto my face and with that, I went calmly to sleep.
  
> Nightly Intrusions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Gently, my eyes opened, a familiar looking ceiling greeting my gaze. I sat up on the cold hard floor while I rubbed my eyes and gazed at my surroundings. My eyes widened at the familiar cell that held me captive once more.

I felt my body petrify as I heard a soft and grim rattling beneath me...

Slowly, I inched my gaze downwards towards the exact same chain that had once bounded me to this exact same wall.

My breathing became irregular as the sounds of a cell door being unlocked screeched into my ears. I snapped my head towards the sound, my eyes widening further as they took sight of the man outside.

His scars extended from his forehead to his neck... a lusty smile being spread eerily across his disfigured face.

My jaw trembled slightly as the man opened the cell, footsteps then echoing loudly while he menacingly approached.

"He..hehe..he, Kuramaaa~... lets have some more fuuun~", he bellowed. 

Slowly, I extended a trembling hand out in a meager attempt to cease his terrifying stride towards me.

"S-stay away..!", I pleaded.

He released a hoarse chuckle and revealed a red hot necklace which he had concealed behind his back. He stood before my cowering self, licking his lips with an absurdly long black tongue.

I clamped my eyes shut as I trembled uncontrollably, his perverted panting embracing the inner walls of my petrified ears. Everything then went momentarily quiet, an eerie silence filling my surroundings.

Soon, the abruptly loud noise of demented chanting forced my eyes open. I frantically gazed down at a crowd garbed in white, the many candles surrounding my fully restrained body serving to highlight their sickened grins.

At the front row of the crowd stood mother, father, Bakura, and Lee. 

They chanted furiously with the crowd, their pupils then expanding to inhabit their entire eye sockets. 

They stared at me with those horrible pitch black eyes while a masked man emerged from the ground next to me, his black scimitar gleaming dangerously in the candle light.

"aCcePt yOuR fAtE...," he hissed in a raspy, deformed voice.

I began to hyperventilate as the man menacingly pulled the scimitar well above his head, the crowd upping their insane volumes in response.

My breaths came and went at alarming rates, sweat also pouring excessively down my torso. I watched on in fear as the masked man released an ugly deformed chuckle, the crowd then modifying their cryptic chant into actual words.

"Spill his guts!"

"Spill his guts!"

"Spill his guts!"

Tears began to flood my eyes as panic seized my entire being. 

The man swung his scimitar down towards my belly in compliance to his sickened onlookers. I gasped as the blade zoomed towards my vulnerable belly at alarming speeds.

His swing however, was interrupted by a dark purple beam which shot both his blade and him out of existence.

A dark blue alicorn flew up onto the altar and lit her horn, Her eyes then gleaming a radiant white as a surge of energy blasted outwards. The whole area was blasted out of existence upon contact, a white void being all that remained.

I watched in confusion as my blurred eyesight focused onto the alicorn who stood before me.

It was princess Luna. 

She had a horrified and aghast expression on her muzzle as she gawked in my direction.

"Are these... your memories?" she asked.

I wiped my tears and looked around me in shock. After a small realization of the situation, I scowled and turned away from her. 

"So you can raise the moon and invade other peoples dreams without consent too?" I grumbled.

A short moment of silence ensued before I heard the sound of trotting. The source of the sound got closer and soon, Luna took a seat besides me.

The white void then turned into a rocky terrain, a dark and cold void surrounding it. In the  distance in front of us shone a vibrant, blue and green planet.

My eyes widened at the beautiful glowing object as I glanced at Luna who had a sorrowful look on her face. She gazed longingly towards the beautiful planet.

"Kurama.. while I may have been deserving of my fate.. you did nothing to deserve yours...", she comforted. I stared on in silence as she began to tremble.

"I do not mean to shower you in my personal issues, but would you lend me an ear?" she asked without making eye contact. I was lost as to where this was going but I didn't mind, I was also curious regarding her fate. "Sure," I quietly answered.

With that, she took a deep breath and began.

"..I once committed horrible crimes against my dear sister as well as all ponykind.. I... I am the one who is deserving of suffering! Yet, why is it that someone such as you is allowed to experience nightmares a hundred times worst than mine!? If someone who has never done anything wrong is allowed to suffer like this, then how could I ever hope to be forgiven!?" she lashed out, her composure being quickly lost in this lonely terrain.

I slowly glanced out towards the planet. It seemed so close, yet so far away. This was getting depressing, but I knew that she needed to let this out. I had to hear her out.

"Im.. not sure of what you did, but you're not a bad person Luna. Im just a stranger, yet I can tell that you are loved by all of those who surround you." I answered in an attempt to cheer her up.

Luna sunk her shoulders down and tightly shut her eyes in an act of self-loathing.

"Sadly, It is a love that I am undeserving of..."

"..It was the unjust jealousy which I held towards my sister that woke something sinister within me."

"...In my ridiculous spree of ill-found anger, I hurt those which I held dear and deeply scarred Tia's caring heart with my wicked malice...", whimpered Luna.

"My thousand year banishment to this dark and lonely moon was far too lenient on a villain such as I..."

O-one thousand years!? For just a bit of sibling rivalry!?

I gave her a baffled look as she sulked, a remorseful expression having been glued onto her face.  After a while, I sighed and glanced back in front of me.

"Luna, don't beat yourself up so much over it. Don't you think it would only rub salt on their wounds if they found out how badly you blamed yourself for it?"

Luna's ears silently perked up as I continued.

"Sure, my fate was pretty cruel and unfair, but yours was still waaay worst. Trust me, it doesn't matter what you did or didn't do, you have already atoned for it a thousand times over." I assured.

My response was met with a shocked look from Luna. I gave her a wide grin and placed my arm around her in an act of comfort.

"It looks like we have both had it pretty rough, eh? I was murdered in secret as my loved ones watched, and you were forced to watch over your family and friends for a millennia over silly reasons, never once being able to express how sorry you were..." 

A few moments of silence ensued while I continued to look at the huge, brilliantly lit planet. I was reluctant to glance at Luna as I did so, its just something about those big pony eyes that made her sad expressions heart-breaking. But I could feel a slight tremble coming from her body, she really did feel terrible about it didn't she?

"So you just sat here in this cold and lonely place all by yourself.. huh? I for one would never have been able to bare that type of torment. It actually baffles me how you can still feel guilt after all that time... Haha, you're seriously something else!"

"...And umm, besides, would you really be able to look Celestia in the eye and tell her what you told me?.. She would blame herself just like you are doing now, and you'd both get hurt all over again." I finished.

I didn't know if I was helping or making it worst, for I felt moisture run down my fingers. I took the opportunity to glance over to her. She softly wept to herself as my words evidently sunk deep into her mind.

I pulled her closer to me and embraced her as the tears continued. Oh dear Sozin, it was such a heart-wrenching sight, those darn eyes. Yet, they were honest and full of purity...

I wanted to return to my home, but so far my inspiration was that I wanted to kill them with my bare hands. All of them, ma, pa, Bakura, Lee, the crowd, the scarred man, the hooded man, the emperor for allowings this, his whole accursed family too.. I wanted to make them suffer as their precious life was taken from them by my own cold fingers.

But here is Luna, depressed and mortified even after one thousand years of torment. One fucking thousand!

I felt pathetic, truly inferior. That I let thoughts of revenge drive me.. I thought that I needed this, that it was the only way it could ever work out for a Firebender like myself. 

And that would definitely have been the only way back at home.. but I wasn't at home was I? I was in this world full of cheerful beings, these ponies.. I envy them. If only my society were like theirs.. then I wouldn't be in this immense pain.

Gah! Im tired of it all! Why should I even return to those devils anyway? After I get my revenge, then what..? Thats right, then nothing. Then.. I'll be empty. A simple vessel of who I used to be.. 

Fuck that.

I tried my best to hold back angry tears of my own as Luna continued to softly weep into my chest. I succeeded and contemplated in silence, a certain idea then popping into my mind.

"Lets make a promise, just between us." I whispered into her ear.

"We will both only look ahead and move forward. For our sake, and the sake of those that we still have left, we shall wipe out all regret. Deal?"

This was a promise that could have only been made between those who could fully grasp each others sadness. 

Me and Luna have had first hand experiences to events that filled us with endless regret towards the past. Thanks to this, we could both have a mutual understanding of each others suffering.

And... although this promise could be summed up to two dogs licking each others wounds, it would also serve to illuminate our paths. Thus, it was necessary for her to avoid falling into her own guilt, and for me to avoid being consumed by revenge.

Luna sniffed and gently pulled away from the embrace. She then wiped her tears and gave me a warm smile of acknowledgement.

"Deal." she softly responded. I smiled and embraced her again as we both looked on towards the brightly lit planet in front of us. 

With that, I had decided. 

I was going to abandon any unnecessary thought I may have had of returning to my dimension, and simply live my life here in Equestria.
> Adjusting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  With a hint of uncertainty at the edge of my mind, I opened my eyes.

Lazily, I sat up on the grand bed which my body had the pleasure of resting on. Before long, my eyes subtly wandered around the room, a sigh of relief then being released once I determined it to be devoid of any cell-like properties.

I promptly pinched my wrist, the mild stinging pain serving to assure me of my genuine awakening. I rubbed my chin and recalled the moments that transpired in my slumber.

That was arguably one of the most lucid dreams I may have ever experienced. I wasn't certain if it was because of Luna's dream-jumping powers or simply due to the gravity of the nightmare beforehand.

Wait, how could I be sure that it wasn't just me dreaming of Luna..? The thought of her being able to jump into my dreams is pretty crazy..

It certainly was a possibility. As a matter of fact, I didn't know why I hadn't considered that being the case instead of just instantly going along with it. Maybe I couldn't question it precisely because it was just a dream?

No, brat. She did indeed, leap into your dream.

With a straight face, I nonchalantly blinked at the unexpected and masculine voice that replied to my self-aimed question.

D-did you just talk to me of your own accord!?

He did, didn't he? Maybe Disem had finally opened up to me, maybe this was the start of a beautiful friendship between boy and inanimate voice, maybe we were finally embarking on the long road which was intimacy-

Do not misunderstand. I am simply trying to inform you that it was an extremely uncomfortable experience for me. Therefore, until I am rid of you, I will insist that you ask her to refrain from inhabiting your dreams, fool.

Aaaand, there it was.

Aww and here I thought that you were finally opening up to me, Disem. It hurts when im the only one giving and youre the only one receiving~.

A few seconds of eerie silence went by as my mental statement sunk in. After a small while, a surprisingly heavy chill ran down my spine.

Woah, what was that!?

I am trying to figure out how the human nerve system works.

W-.. why...?

To kill you.

Another chill rushed down my spine. I didn't know much about the way we were bound, but he couldn't do that right? If he could he would have done so long ago... RIGHT?? 

H-hey man, lets not try anything crazy ok?

Silence. I have had enough of your tasteless sarcasm and foolishness. I will surpass my own limitations this instant and succeed in directly killing you myself.

His own limitations? That probably meant that he couldn't kill me, although it seemed like he was trying to find a way to do so. Geez, just what did I do to anger him so much, cant he take a little teasing? tsk, tsk, tsk.

Sigh, I wasnt being sarcastic... but I think itll be in my best interest to just let you cool off.

It would be in MY best interest if you were to leap to your death right this instant. The window is right over there.

I knew that he could be sensitive at times, but now he was getting a bit out of hand. Welp, he'll have to open up to me sooner or later, we sort of did have to spend a lifetime together and all.

With that set on the table, I got up from the oversized bed and took the time to admire my room. The walls were painted an appealing shade of yellow, an exotic array of pink curtains also dangling from the window side.

The room had some cabinets, a door labeled as "Bathroom", and another door which must have been a wardrobe or something. Other than that, it was mostly empty space. 

I smiled and headed towards the bathroom. I favored the idea of a nice relaxing shower, plus it wouldn't hurt to brush my teeth if that option was also available to me.

I opened the door and entered into the equally spacey bathroom. The walls were tiled and stainless, a mirror, sink, and bath tub also inhabiting it. I paced over to the sink and noticed the drawer which was wedged below it.

"Hmmm."

I opened it and surveyed its contents, neatly stacked inside of it was some sort of glowing fuzzy fabric. I took one and examined it, the other side seeming to have had sticky properties.

I decided to stick the rectangular piece onto my arm. When I did so, the fabric perfectly mimicked my skin complexion, making the area I splayed it on seem like a furry spot of tan fur.

I admired its color-shifting properties for a few moments before removing it from my arm. Whatever it was, it was meant for ponies. Thus, I probably shouldn't mettle with it.

I placed it back into the drawer and kept searching. After making a mess of the stacked fabrics, I found a small and elastic container along with a toothbrush.

I squeezed the container, a pink pasty substance then emitting from the uncapped top. I sniffed the substance, its smell being that of bubblegum.

"It... seems normal enough."

I sniffed it again to make sure it wasn't some sort of trick, this world did have a strange habit of royally screwing me from time to time.

I carefully squeezed some onto the toothbrush and hesitantly began to brush my teeth. To my relief, it tasted just as it smelled.

I then began to brush with more diligence and speed as I pondered over my plans for the day.

The palace has a lot of guards, which means there must be a place where they are all trained. That would be as good a spot as any to catch up on my training. Well, if im allowed to share their workout space that is. But in case I am.. hmm, maybe id go with muscle-strengthening and flame-manipulation exercises? Oh, and I really need to catch up on breathing and meditation.

I turned the faucet on and cupped up a handful of the water which proceeded to spew out. I sipped it into my mouth and made sure to wash thoroughly before spitting.

I then walked over to the tub and turned its faucet on as well. After adjusting the temperature, I undressed and entered the accumulating pool of water. I let out a hearty, relaxed sigh as it began to slowly submerge a good portion of my body.

I glanced around and located a bar of soap, the bar being safely within reach. I then dipped it in the water, a burst of vanilla-like odor exploding forth when I did so. After a long suspenseful showering scene that would be weird if I went into detail about, I stood up and left the bath tub.

I couldn't find a towel, so I just used some of the color-shifting fabric to dry myself off. I seriously wondered just what purpose they actually served.

"Maybe they were for covering bald spots on ponies?", I asked to apparently nobody as I threw it aside.

I dressed myself and headed out of the bathroom, which in turn led me back into the bedroom. I approached the chambers exit and opened it, my intent being to explore the palace.

Directly across from the door stood a guard, his unexpected presence making me jump a little. Once I regained a bit of composure, I eyed him questionably before being tempted to ask.

"May.. I help you?"

his neutral expression remained unchanged as he firmly answered.

"I was assigned to be your escort until you can fare by yourself, sir!"

Escort or observer? Pfft, im not sure how gullible ponies are, but I sure wasn't buyin it Ms. Sunbutt.

"Hm, that so? Well then could you take me to the training room?", I replied.

The guard raised an eyebrow at my request, his expression shifting into something other than neutrality.

"What? Do I not look like a warrior?", I asked teasingly as I proceeded to flex like a bodybuilder in a photo shoot.

He reacted with the plain old, typically confused look. Boooring, these darned things had absolutely no sense of humor.

I sighed and ceased my smexy flexing of instant female-magnetism. 

"Just take me there.", I huffed in annoyance.

"Forgive me..but im not sure if I am allowed to take you there.", he replied.

Not sure how I didn't see that one coming.    

But whatever, im sure the training room was a very sacred place where not just any visitor could be granted instant access to. I should be glad that atleast the rest of the castle was available to me.

"Name some places where you CAN take me.", I tested. 

The guard didn't seem like he had much to ponder about as he answered almost immediately.

"Well.. the throne room and the dining hall, sir.", he replied.

"......"

Thats it? This absurdly huge palace... AND THAT WAS IT!?

"W-well then..! How about you escort to me to the throne room?", I asked with the mildest tone I could currently muster.

He nodded in acceptance to my request and began to lead the way. We went up a familiar set of steps and quickly encountered a set of double doors.

I rolled my eyes as I realized how close my chambers were from the throne room. Did she expect me to be some sort of wild animal that could go off at any moment?

The guard opened the doors, revealing Sunbutt and Luna who seemed like they were about to leave somewhere. They both glanced towards me as I approached, Luna beginning to smile and wave.

"Good morn to you Kurama!", she greeted.

"Mornin Luna!", I greeted in return.

"Have you enjoyed your stay thus far?", she asked

I grinned and nodded before directing my attention towards Celestia.

"Im here to ask you permission. Can I go to the royal guards training room?", I requested, cutting straight to the chase.

My question didn't faze the blank expression on her muzzle one bit. Im sure that she'd use her way with words to come up with an excuse to say no. After all, it would probably be a disadvantage if information about my behavior didn't reach her immediately. I once again rolled my eyes and began to speak before she could say no.

"My power is called fire bending, It can easily be weakened if you simply lower the sun. It is different from magic, Its actually more of a martial art, but the fire spewing part is powered by the intensity of my emotions, solar rays, and a few other things.  When the suns down, the potency of my flames is practically halved, so you could easily defeat me.", I boringly explained.

While Luna simply looked puzzled at my unexplained outburst, Celestia seemed more shocked at my sudden explanation than surprised. She contemplated what I said but seemed reluctant to give me an answer. I gave her the brief explanation but it should have still made a little sense. I sighed and continued.

"If you have doubts, then order your guards to attack me if I exhibit behavior that they deem suspicious."

Celestia's mouth opened slightly as she took notice of my perception. I shrugged towards her with a small, but smug smirk on my face. I wasn't like any of the annoying pastel-colored ponies that she dealt with on a regular basis.

"Kurama, I am unsure as to what you two are conversing about.", added Luna. 

Celestia's neutral eyes slightly widened at her statement. It was evident that this side of her was one that she wasn't proud of, so Im sure that she would never want Luna to take notice of it. 

Hmm, while id love to put her on the spot... Its not like her intentions are bad. Shes just looking out for her beloved kingdom right?

I smiled and turned to Luna.

"Your sister was curious about my ability and asked me about it last night. I was very tired, so I promised to explain it to her the following morning before you guys left to... wherever it is youre going.", I responded.

"I see, it is the power which you used to smite the hydra, correct?", clarified Luna.

I nodded and glanced towards Celestia, loving the slightly dumbfounded look she had on her face. It also irked me just a little, I know im different like she said, but she really didn't have to be that surprised by my act of good will. 

I turned around and headed back towards the set of double doors. I was never the type to pressure a women into doing what i wanted.

"On second thought, I can see youre both very busy. So ill just hang out in my chambers until you two come back.", I said as I motioned my escort and observer to lead the way. On my way out, I turned and gave Celestia a warm smile. 

She really had no idea what to make of me, did she? The look on her face was priceless.

I waved goodbye to Luna and shut the pair of doors. The guard then escorted me back down the stairs and towards my room. I entered it and shut the door behind me, leaving the creepy guard outside to himself.

"Well, to the least I can meditate here in this spacey room.", I muttered to myself.

I crossed my legs and sat down a few solid feet away from my bed, my eyes closing in the process.

I summoned small fires onto both of my palms, my arms then extending to either side of me. With deep breaths and a calm mind, I began my meditation.

What is this dreadfully peaceful feeling!? Stop, stop it at once!

My eyes shot open as a massive frown spread across my face.

Im trying to meditate here, just keep to yourself as you have been doing for the past day.

Silence! It feels beyond disturbing when you clear your mind in that manner!

Hey man.. im just relaxing my mind of any thoughts or worries. Pretty much what meditations all about.

Whatever this "meditation" is, never do it again. Your puny little mind is already transparent and ambitionless enough without your sickening meditation technique.

I was having a bit of trouble coming to terms with the fact that this was now happening. This jerk wanted to take away my precious meditation? Heh, like I'd let that happen.

So, youre just not comfortable with your host having peace of mind? I don't know what sort of evil bad guys you've had in the past, but sadly youre dealing with me now. Besides, experiencing new things is awesome, just give it a try.

Quiet! I fail to see the reason as to why anything would need such disgusting calm engraved into their minds! Your peace stains my honor, me who serves to destroy! Why was I cursed with a pacifist fool such as you!? 

I tried my hardest to not let anger consume me as he bantered on. Also, for a being that has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, he just said quite the ignorant thing. I guess ill enlighten him just a bit.

Peace can sometimes be one of the most deadly forces. An old man on my sixteenth birthday taught me that.

Then it seems that ALL humans are as foolish as you! Pathetic!

Gah just hear me out! Look, im working on peace of mind PRECISELY because I want to fight. That man showed me something ive never seen before! He was a firebender, yet he somehow bended lightning! He explained the entire concept to me, but the first step is peace of mind. Now do you see? Im doing this because I want power!

I have never heard of destruction obtained by foolish peace! Nor do I care for your ability and its secrets!

But you DO care about getting rid of me right? Mastering the art of lightning has a fatality rate of around sixty percent. Which means you may get rid of me if you just let me practice.

Oh?.. heh! I am glad that you are foolish enough to risk your own life to master a petty technique. Very well! On my honor as the Flame of Life, I will no longer interfere with your pathetic little training!

Id risk my life for it because its my ambition, a small one, but ambition nonetheless!... oh and btw, just to let you know, ive been meditating every single day since my sixteenth birthday but ive yet to make an ounce of progress...

WHAT!?

Too late to take it back now! Its on your honor remember?

GRR YOU BRAT!!

Haha, don't worry ill make progress eventually! Could be today, tomorrow, or 10 years from now but itll happen. And I wont stop meditating until it does!

URGH!! DANM YOU!!

Your fault for jumping at the chance to get rid of me so quickly. Sigh, and I really want to be your friend too.

Silence!!! You and I will NEVER be friends!!

Yeah, yeah.

I swear, sometimes he gets me so fed up. Ill just leave him alone to quietly throw his little fit by himself. The bottom line is, I need to meditate, and now he cant do a thing about it.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes shut. I lit a small fire on each of my palms and extended them to my sides. Then, I slowly cleared my mind of thought and began my meditation for the second time.

Regrettably, this time too, was cut short by a lightweight object that landed on my head. 

My eyes roared open as my concentration was once again interrupted. Anger began to swell at the edge of my mind while I tightly clenched my fist.

I held back the urge to simply incinerate whatever it was that landed on my head as I grabbed it. I then moved it into my line of sight, the object being a rolled up letter with a bright red seal.

My irritation shifted to curiosity as looked up towards an empty ceiling, then around the room. There was a slight smell of bad breath, but other than that, nothing.

I eyed the letter suspiciously and began to open it. Once I did so, I inched it closer to my face and began reading.

Dear Kurama,
I regret to inform you that the girls and I will not
be able to make it today. We have urgent business over
at the crystal empire and as a princess, I am required to
play my part as well... although it seems to only amount 
to just smiling and waving. Im not sure of my purpose as
a princess when all I ever do is smile and wave. Its just so
frustrating!.. Sorry, as I was saying... or writing, we will attempt
to visit you as soon as we can. But for now, please excuse us
and be safe.

Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle 

"Hmm so Twilight was the one that somehow sent me this? These ponies have some seriously obscure mailing systems.."

Her letter was filled with questionable information, such as "Crystal empire" and something about her princess duties.

Wait, Twilight was a princess!? What the heck, are all freaking alicorns princesses or something!?

Mixed emotions entered my mind at the thought of twilight being a princess. She seemed to be the most tolerant of all the ponies ive met so far, but she was a princess all along?

She totally gave off the "Average scholar" sort of impression. Wait, since she was a princess, did that mean that she ruled land as well? The letter DID mention something about the "Crystal empire".

I scratched my head and pondered over it for a while. Then, I simply decided to push the questions away and toss the letter aside. I could just ask her all I wanted when she was free to come and visit.

I assumed my meditating pose for the third, and hopefully final time. There was a strangely eerie feeling I felt, as if the letter was some sort of bad omen, but I pushed that away as well.

I relaxed and cleared my mind, my meditation finally being met with no setbacks.
> Makin Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  *GRUMBLE*

The extremely uncomfortable feeling in my stomach beckoned me to cease my meditation. As to why I chose to meditate for hours on end on an empty stomach was beyond me.

I grunted and opened my eyes. I then took a small glance towards the window, seeing that it was currently a brightly lit afternoon.

Fasting was by no means, a part of my meditation. However, this time around it was inevitable. It had been a while since I last meditated, so I wanted to extend it a bit... well, "bit" was an understatement.

I practically wasted a good one third of my day and as always, I didn't feel even a tiny bit of difference. I seriously felt like I must have been missing something.

For one thing, I never imagined that it would take this long to acquire peace of mind. Shamefully, for the first time in my lengthy training, I contemplated on whether I should just skip that step and simply move on to the separation of Yin and Yang.

I then quickly dismissed the thought as soon as it entered. The old man made sure to properly relay how super important it was to have patience. Thus, I would have to suck it up and wait for that fateful moment where id feel like I was ready.

My stomach grumbled once more as an annoying reminder of its emptiness. I rubbed it and glanced towards the door. It was high time to eat some afternoon breakfast.

I stumbled up to my two feet and slowly paced over to the chambers exit. I opened it, my action being expectably greeted by the guards presence right outside. I softened my facial features at the sight of the familiar-looking guard.

"Im sure you must be starving standing guard here all day, what do ya say you and me go hit the dining halls?", I offered.

The guards whole demeanor seemed to have greatly softened at my request, I must've nailed it right on the bullseye.

I gave the hard working lump of fur a smile of approval and motioned him to lead the way, which he gladly complied to. As we walked, I began to ponder whether Celestia and Luna were back by now.

I had never really been this close to royalty, so I wasn't exactly sure how long a business trip of royal class was supposed to last. But I figured that it would make things a lot simpler for me if I just asked someone who was used to such events, like the guard for example.

"Have Celestia and Luna returned yet?", I asked.

"Not that i've heard of.", replied the guard.

"I see, do you know how long they're expected to be out?"

"According to their schedules, they should be back by todays appointed moon rising."

"Ah, ok."

It was safe to assume that "moon rising" was when Luna is to raise the moon, so they should be back in four to five hours. With that safely established, I turned my attention back to the guard. His appearance truly matched that of every other guard I had seen so far, were they all clones of each other or something?

That was a silly thought, but it still perplexed me how they could manage such similarity with one another.

"What is your name, soldier?", I asked as I gazed at his back.

The guard tensed up a bit before answering.

"Private Spark of the sun guard, earth pony division."

"I see, mind if I just call you spark? Or would it be rude to drop the formalities?"

"I.. believe that it would be best to keep the formalities, sir."

"Welp, I guess that'll do, private."

We continued our advancement down a set of stairs, then straight down a familiar hallway. We reached the doors on the end of said hallway, and pushed them open.

Under us laid the same black carpet that greeted me and Celestia last night, the professionally sowed fabric serving to call upon some unpleasant memories.

Speaking of the unpleasant memories, I spotted a certain ball of fur dining at the table along with a variety of other ponies. Me and Diamond Plate locked eyesights as I paced over to the table.

The ponies which sat with him all turned in my direction and eyed me with disgust, but none with bigger disgust than Diamond Plate himself.

I felt my mood darken as I dismissed Spark to his own corner of the dining hall. He eagerly trotted towards a table which seemed designated for guards, the table Diamond Plate sat on being for guests and residents.

I circled the table, looking intently for a free seat. However, each time I found a seat it was swiftly occupied by some of the luggage the guests had. 

I heard Diamond Plate and his irritating followers snicker as seat upon seat was denied from me. A jolt of frustration lit my mind as I glared at the idiots occupying the table.

They consisted of males, females, some winged, some horned, but they all shared the same crest on their clothing. The crest which was also stretched on the tight suit Diamond Plate wore.

Great. So that furball really has himself a whole lineage of nobility backing him up, that crest must be his bloodline.

Hmph. You let them make a fool of you and in a way, me. Infuriating! No matter how much I wish otherwise, you and I are now one and the same. I insist that you stop being such a pacifist fool and kill those pitiful weaklings, brat!

A-... are you some sort of devil!?

Devil? Only someone as weak-minded as you would see my acts as devilish. It is simple, the weak are nothing more than prey to those who have even an ounce of power. It is beyond humiliating to be pestered by such fragile fools!

You my friend, need some serious education on ethics and morals.

Ethics and morals are left to the weak to stress their puny little heads about. Also, I do not intend to make this into a philosophical discussion, fool! End these ants, now!

No. Its exactly because they're weak that Im hesitant to attack. My strength isn't utilized for preying on the weak, it is for conquering the strong. I refuse to murder these so called ants in cold blood, my pride as a warrior stakes on it.

Truly the pride of an incompetent.

 Ugh, Desim I love ya buddy but nows not the time to argue. Im sure you must be feeling this immense hunger as well as I do, so lets just ignore these mindless followers and eat up ok?

Tch. You bore me, coward.

Yeah, yeah.

I finished my circle around the table, every seat having been stolen from me by varying pieces of luggage. I frowned and walked over to a random seat which was in between two females. 

They eyed me with wretched faces as I approached. I then took the chair and shook off the luggage which rested on it. The female to my right glared at me as her stuff ate the ground.

I gave her a venomous look, the mild killing intent behind it effectively redirecting her rude gaze elsewhere. I rolled my eyes and attempted to shield my temper with a deep breath before sitting.

I ignored the newfound silence on the table as I filled my plate with soup. Then, I grabbed a few slices of bread from a little distance in front of me. 

I directed a slight smile towards the good looking food and began to eat, ignoring the many eyes glued onto me as I did so. Before I could fully express the bliss of flavor that the soup brought to my tongue, I was interrupted by a voice in my head.

Hmm, excellent. Give my condolences to the chef.

Huh? umm... ok?

That was completely unexpected, but the fact that someone like Desim praised the chef was enough to detail the overwhelming quality of this soup. 

My taste buds have never had the privilege to taste such a wonderful dish as this. I even made a mental note to control myself, or else id soon end up as round as Diamond Plate.

I happily continued to eat the soup, occasionally taking big bites of bread as well. Murmurs and whispers echoed through the table, key words such as "Disgusting", "Slob", "Hideous", "Untrained", and even "Monster" reaching my ears.

I frowned and continued my rapid eating, the table then suddenly going quiet. I glanced next to me towards Diamond Plate who was standing next to me with no regard for my personal space. Apparently, he went through the trouble of getting up and trotting over to me.

As to how he managed to get this close to me without me noticing, ill never know. Pretty impressive actually.

"So, Celestias dirty pet is allowed to come here without its master? Careful folks, you may catch a disease!", he boomed loudly, his remark being met with obnoxious laughter.

I ignored him and continued eating as he opened his big mouth again, it also seemed that even a noble could get away with not brushing his teeth.

"Oh my, look at those fleshy hands of yours as you eat. Maybe it was your stench that made your fur fall off in the first place? How utterly unsanitary.", he ironically sneered.

The table was now roaring with laughter as the ponies inhabiting it pointed hoofs and forks in my direction. I continued to feign ignorance, simply striving to enjoy my current plate of food.

"You have some nerve ignoring me, dirty beast!", he hissed.

"He is just petrified with fear due to your grace Diamond Plate!", shouted a female across from me.

"Haha, maybe he needs Celestia to change his diaper!", added a male with a horn. The table then exploded into another fit of laughter and ridicule, Diamond Plate laughing right into my face.

I didn't even move an inch as he shot me with his unbearable breath, my tounge momentarily backing into my mouth to escape it. I gripped my fork a little tighter and cooped up a mouthful of soup into my mouth.

Diamond Plate's face flushed red with anger at my irrelevance towards his evidently insignificant presence. He roughly shifted closer to me and smacked the plate of soup onto my body with his hoof.

The noodles and liquid splashed onto my exposed torso and clothing, the wet, cold, and drenched feeling making me tense up. 

"Did that wake you up, hideous beast!?", rudely yelled Diamond Plate, a cheer of laughter also serving to compliment his bold action.

I rested my hands on my knees as I took a moment to breathe. After a short while, I stood up from the table and subtly headed towards the exit. My action was met with more laughter and also booing from Diamond Plates crowd.

"Whats wrong? Don't have anything smart to say this time?", He asked arrogantly from behind me.

I simply kept walking towards the exit, not even bothering to alert Spark of my soon to be absence. I then opened the double doors and closed them behind me. 

I quickly paced down the hallway, up the stairs, and towards my room. Soup dripped down to the floor from my hair as I opened the door and slowly walked inside.

I then strode over to the window and lazily opened it as a voice resounded in my head.

Unbelievable! Idiotic fool, are you satisfi-

"GRRRAAAAAAAAARHHH!!!!!!", loudly interrupted my voice as a stream of hungry, relentless hot fire escaped my mouth and out towards the outside.

The pure thickness and heat of the stream quickly colored the windows edges a cringe worthy, scorching black as it continued. I then abruptly ceased the stream and punched a fist shaped hole next to the blackened window exterior.

I ripped my fist out of the wall and angrily stomped over to my bathroom door. I resisted the urge to blast it off the wall as I opened it.

I entered the spacey bathroom and swiftly turned the bathtubs faucet on, not even bothering to adjust the temperature this time.

I quickly stripped myself of clothing and beamed it aside with an angered grunt. Then, I speed-walked towards the filling bathtub and entered it.

The ice cold water that covered my body was soon boiling with the angered heat radiating off me. I sunk my body deeper into the water until my lips were submerged.

I pouted and angrily gurgled bubbles from my mouth as I glared towards the wall across from me. If I there was ever a time when I strongly considered eating horse meat for dinner, it was now.

I grabbed the bar of soap and roughly rubbed it on my hair and arms. I then sharply stood up and rubbed the rest of my body as well. After doing so, I sat back down into the hot bubbling water, the soap immediately being soaked off due to the hot temperatures.

I decided to stay in for a while to calm my nerves.

Look at you. Taking your anger out on various inanimate objects when you can simply quench your thirst on their fragile flesh.

I already told you. Its precisely because I know that I can crush those idiots that I don't do it. Also it was a tactical retreat, if I stayed any longer Im not sure if I could've been able to control myself.

And what is wrong with that? You just keep proving that you are of more use to me dead, useless brat!

I know that it means no difference to you, but im not gonna make an enemy of the rulers of this land by slaughtering their subjects. Plus even if Luna and Celestia didn't care, I probably still wouldn't have done it. Unlike you I have at least a shred of decency!

Urgh, enough of this! First you honor our meeting with ignorance and disrespect, then you claim you want to be my "friend" and attempt to give me a name, and now you endure foolish ridicule because you honor the weak!? Never in my long span of existence have I ever met such a malice-empty fool!! Don't you want to destroy!? Don't you want to conquer!? Do you not feel anger and animosity towards those who executed you!? Don't you want to inflict pain onto the world for the pain it inflicted onto you!? DOES YOUR LIFE FORCE NOT BURN WITH THE DESIRE TO SPREAD PAIN AND CHAOS TO EVERYTHING AROUND YOU!??

I tightly shut my eyes and winced at his absurd volume. I felt my head ring as he finished, a tad bit of dizziness also accompanying the ring. never before had he raised his voice this way, yet I could feel the anger that radiated off of his presence.

However, I couldn't tell what his anger was directed towards. All I knew is that his essence boiled with hot animosity, an animosity that seemed mysterious in nature. I gulped before answering.

...No. No I do not.

.......

........

I could still feel the anger emanating from his presence, but it seemed like he was done conversing with me for now. While his outburst did raise an eyebrow, I decided that it would be best if I simply didn't question it. We were both entitled to have our own issues without the other prying too deeply into matters.

I stood up and hopped out of the bathtub. My mood was still a bit questionable, but not dangerously so like earlier. Besides, some of us had it a bit worst.

I dried myself off with the color shifting fabric again and picked up my clothing. I shifted my uncomfortable metal bracelets a bit before clicking them off.

I then threw them into the bathtub along with my clothes and began scrubbing them with soap. I hummed the fire nations national anthem while I roughly cleared my things of soup. 

After a while, I lifted my things up and placed them on the ground. With a sturdy low kick, I set them ablaze and began a countdown starting from fifteen.

"Fifteen.. Fourteen.. Thirteen.. Twelve.. Eleven.. Ten.. Nine.. Eight.. Seven.. Six.. Five.. Four.. Three.. Two.. aaand One.", I finished.

With a snap of my fingers, I put a stop to the hungry flames. I then traced a finger over my fire resistant clothes, my finger being pleasantly met with dryness.

I ignored the slight steam of evaporated water emanating from them as I proceeded to put them on. To the least, my clothes now had an endearing odor of vanilla to them.

I clipped my bracelets back on and headed out of the bathroom. I immediately cringed at the sight of the blackened window, next to it being a hole slightly greyed with heat. 

I looked around the room for something, anything to cover the hole up with, an idea then suddenly hitting my head. I chuckled and ran back into the bathroom, while inside swiftly grabbing two magic fabrics.

I ran right back out and towards the hole I made. Next, I splayed the two fabrics out and stuck them on top of the hole. The fabric blended in perfectly with the walls shade of yellow, making the spot seem like it had fur. 

It was still a questionable sight, but much more pleasing to the eye than a gaping hole. After admiring my work a bit, I closed the window curtains which served to conceal the window.

I wiped a bit of sweat off my forehead and huffed a small sigh of relief.

"That'll do for now.", I whispered.

With a bit of a carefree demeanor, I strolled over to the exit and slightly opened it. Spark was surprisingly, nowhere to be seen as my gaze met a wall. 

Upon registering his absence, I opened the door completely and stepped outside. It wasn't my intent to wander around, I was actually going to look for him over at the dining hall.

He probably didn't notice me leave, so I was going to alert him before he got into any trouble with his higher-ups. As I headed over to the designated staircase, I bypassed a door.

Sounds of objects shifting around emanated from the other side of it. Plus it definitely didn't seem like a door to anyones chambers..

I inched my ear closer to the door. There was no mistaking it, someone, or something was moving things around. I placed my hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it.

The doorknob squeaked loudly as it turned, alerting whatever it was behind the door of my presence. I heard violent shifting and some sort of flapping before I snapped the door open.

the room was poorly lit and resembled something like a spacey janitors closet. I hesitantly walked inside and looked around me, there didn't seem to be anybody here.

But the spilled bucket of water on the floor disagreed with me. I eyed it suspiciously, a drip of water then falling off something at the ceiling. 

I quickly took a stance and looked up, my gaze being met with a grey colored mare struggling to stay afloat with her drenched wings. 

before I could question her, she clumsily tumbled out of the air and onto me, knocking me over. My head hit the floor, a wave of dizziness and pain washing over my mind. 

Something hairy and soft rubbed onto my cheek, the feeling beckoning me to open my eyes. What was displayed in front of me was this girls butt.

It had a cutie mark of bubbles on it and she awkwardly rubbed my cheek between her legs as she tried to stand up. However, she repeatedly slipped on the wet ground. Each time she did so, her flank smacking me in the nose.

I began to struggle too, but my struggle was cut short by a fabric that fell onto my face. I picked it off my face and inspected it, the fabric seeming to be exactly like the color-shifting fabric in my bathroom drawer.

I then slowly inched my eyesight towards the monstrosity between this females legs that approached my face. My eyes widened as her hoofs began to slip on the water yet again.

Nervousness swelled into my mind as I tried to quickly soothe myself with a thought.

A-..as I stare into a dark abyss... I shall fear no evil..

A small smack then echoed through the room as my face was patted with the winged female's snatch. My muscles jolted and with a small surge of adrenaline, I pushed the darn thing off me.

I sat up wide eyed, panting heavily as sweat dripped down my face, my finger slowly tracing over my poor defiled cheek.

Oh grandmother, your sweet little Kurama has been robbed of his purity.

I inched my traumatized gaze towards the grey mare. It was convenient how she had finally regained composure after her fuzzy buttocks were off my face.

She had a slight blush on her muzzle and seemed troubled. Also, upon closer inspection, she had quite the bad case of lazy eye.

"W-who are you??", I asked between rattled breaths. 

"Aww, please don't tell my boss that you caught me here!", she responded.

"But who are you..??", I shakily repeated.

"Im Ditzy Doo, but my friends call me Derpy.", she answered.

Derpy huh? She did an excellent job of living up to that nickname. I trembled as I recalled what transpired a few seconds ago.

"W-why..? Why are you here?", I questioned as my disturbed breathing finally calmed itself.

"Umm.. I sorta had mail for somepony named Gold Trotter but... the palace is so big and.. and-"

"You got lost?", I finished for her.

She scrunched her lower lip and nodded. I rolled my eyes and helped her to her feet. I then awkwardly handed her magic underwear back to her. Of all the ways to find out what the fabric was used for, this was definitely the worst.

She took the fabric with the most flustered expression her lazy eyes could help to muster. I scratched my head and turned away as she placed it back on.

"Look Derpy, lets.. just forget this ever happened ok?"

"Uh huh..", she responded with a slightly embarrassed blush.

"Well then.. ima just... ya know..", I said as I headed out of the room.

"Ehmm.. good luck with your errand, if I meet this 'Gold Trotter' guy ill make sure to let him know you're looking for him.", I said while slowly closing the door and leaving her to herself.

I took a deep breath and used all my will power to bury the memories of this incident deep into my consciousness. I then bravely looked forward and continued on to the dining hall as if nothing ever happened.

I went down the set of stairs, and walked down the long hallway towards the double doors. I opened them and peeked inside, the dining hall being empty, to my surprise.

There was no one in it, not even Diamond Plate and his infuriating goons. I shrugged and headed back towards the way I came.

After taking the typical route and awkwardly bypassing a certain door again, I opened the doors to my chambers and walked inside.

I weakly strode over to my oversized bed and plopped face down onto it. I grunted into the soft fabric and simply stranded there, in serious need of a little nap, not like I had much else to do but sleep and meditate.

My mind quickly shut down at the opportunity to rest from the absurd events that it was forced to experience.






*3 hours later*



My pleasant nap came to a halt by the sound of loud knocking at my door. I released a grumpy sigh as I lifted my eyes open. I then lazily glanced towards the window, Luna seeming to have already raised the moon.

I weakly stumbled to my feet and rubbed my eyes. I softly paced over to my door, another series of knocks emitting from its direction.

"Coming, coming!", I irritatingly huffed.

I arrived at the door and opened it. Outside stood an unfamiliar looking guard, his presence raising one of my eyebrows.

"Yes?", I asked.

"Forgive me for disturbing your sleep, but her highness Celestia summons you, sir.", he replied.

"For what?"

"I am sorry, but I was only told to summon you."

"Arrgh, ok, ok.", I finished as I left the room and closed it. 

The guard led the way and I simply followed as always. We went up the set of steps and walked over to the throne rooms doors. The guard opened it for me and motioned me to enter while he stood outside.

I complied and entered, inside was Spark and Diamond Plate who gave me a dirty look. I shook my head at him, which to my delight, seemed to have angered him. I then glanced up towards Luna and Celestia who each sat on their perspective thrones. They both seemed completely exhausted. 

I walked over and stepped in between Diamond Plate and Spark.

"How may I help you your highnesses?", I asked tiredly.

"Kurama, I have been alerted to every single detail of what transpired this afternoon.", replied Celestia with equal drowsiness.

I raised my eyebrow and glanced towards Spark. He smiled and nodded towards me, I then weakly returned his smile. He was a nice guy wasn't he?

I directed my attention back to Celestia.

"I see, is this the reason you summoned me?"

"Yes. It is unforgivable that you be treated with such disrespect and insubordination on just your second day of residence. I deeply apologize for the.. inconvenience.", hissed Celestia as she chillingly glared at Diamond Plate. However, there wasn't an ounce of remorse on his ugly mug.

"No problem. I for one, deeply apologize for not being able to avoid it.", I replied.

"No, no. It seems that you handled the situation in the most mature way possible. Truth be told, I may have had my doubts about you in the beginning, but now I see that I was overreacting.", remarked Celestia with a soft smile.

"I hope for your forgiveness.", she finished.

I chuckled loudly and shook my head.

"Yeah I could tell, but don't worry. As a ruler, it would have been nothing short of foolishness if you hadn't suspected me at least a tiny bit. It just goes to show that you're good at what you do.", I deliberately flattered.

Celestia released a small laugh into her elegant hoof before answering.

"Oh you flatter me."

I grinned at her small fit of laughter. At least now I didn't have to worry about an overly cautious princess on my back. Plus she really did look way better with a smile.

"Ehem! Are you two done licking each others flanks? Lets just get this over with!", rudely commented Diamond Plate.

Me, Celestia, and Luna glared at him in response to his rude language.

"And where do you think you get off talking to a princess that way?", questioned Luna.

But before she could further reprimand him, she was stopped by her sisters hoof. She glared at Diamond Plate for a bit longer before speaking.

"As you wish. Kurama, would you like to press charges on Mr. Diamond Plate for verbal and physical harassment?", asked Celestia.

I began to comprehend where this was going. I gazed towards Diamond Plate's smug looking face and yawned.

"Like.. right now?," I asked contemplating whether I really should.. but it didn't seem like I'd get anything valuable from it.

Celestia tiredly nodded her head as she looked on in kind anticipation to my answer.

"Naw."

Everyone sharply turned towards me with a look of surprise. Even the fur ball seemed pretty astonished by my decision. I guess even he was aware of how hateful he could be, but he seemed to enjoy it, which made it worse. 

"Why is it that you revoke all charges?", asked Luna, a dumbfounded expression etched onto her snout. She seemed to really have a thorough dislike for the guy herself, it actually made me wonder just what heavenly force impeded the princesses from kicking this obnoxious guy out.

Maybe some sort of political reasons. Oh well.

"Well, mostly because it sounds like a huge bother. Also, judging from that irritating look on his face, he probably wouldn't learn a single thing from it either. Let the money magnet keep his precious money, not like I care much for it anyways.", I answered while lazily picking my left ear.

"Hmph! It seems like you're fond of retorting only when the princesses are here to defend you!", hissed Diamond Plate insultingly. 

I frowned and turned towards Celestia. 

"As of today, I would like permission to defend myself in case he takes it out of hand.", I requested as I lit my fist with flames.

Diamond Plate visibly flinched at the sudden summoning of fire, a look of confusion being summoned onto his arrogant mug as he eyed my engulfed hand.

"I promise I wont overdo it if the situation calls for self defense.", I finished with a cold smile.

Celestia returned my cold smile.

"Permission granted.", she spoke.

The terrified look on his face was priceless.

I then abruptly turned up the intensity of my flames, making him tumble backwards to the ground. After he got off his fat behind, he ran right out of the throne room.

I ceased my fire and rolled around on the floor laughing, Celestia and Luna also contributing some chuckles of their own. After a small while, I stood up and wiped a tear from my face.

"Well then your highnesses, ill be heading back to my chambers.", I said as I walked towards the exit.

"Best of evenings to you.", heartily responded Celestia. I was glad that her mood lightened up a bit.

"Sweetest of dreams to you, Kurama!", also answered Luna. 

I grinned and waved goodbye, I waited for Spark to step outside as well before closing the door.

"Thanks for your help comrade, and goodnight to you.", I told him.

"Not at all, sir. Good night.", he replied. 

We then split our paths and headed towards our designated sleeping areas. I took the route towards my room and arrived at my door.

I entered my chambers and quickly paced towards my bed. I swear I heard it call out to me as I bounced down onto its refreshing fabric. 

I sighed and ceased to think about anything else. Quite frankly, I just wanted to resume my sleep. I must have been becoming a skilled sleeper too, for my consciousness began to fade fast.

I smiled and wished goodnight to my comfy pillow as I fell asleep.
> New threat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The beaming morning sun assaulted my eyes with its bright rays.

I groaned as I shifted around in my oversized bed in hopes of escaping the light. However, no matter which position I shifted into, the sunlight pestered itself right back onto my face.

I stretched my hands out and yawned, my eyes steadily opening in the process. I finished my stretching with a satisfied sigh as I sat up on my bed.

I scratched my head and weakly stood up, my feet almost giving out on me as they were pushed down by gravity. I stumbled and wobbled before regaining my sense of balance.

My eyelids drooped as I quietly strode over to my bathroom, my shoulders also feeling heavy.

"I will never be a morning person.", I groaned to myself.

After slowly entering the bathroom, I headed towards the sink with about as much enthusiasm as a snail. I then rotated the faucet labeled with a bold "C" and proceeded to splash cold water on my face.

It wasn't as effective in waking me up as I hoped, but it did the trick. I shuddered the cold feeling off and continued with my usual morning sequence.

Brush my teeth, strip, fill bathtub, bathe, dry awkwardly in pony underwear, and put clothes back on.

After a while, I had completed all these tasks, now being completely awake and aware. Well, as awake and aware as a snail can be.

With much more effort to my movements, I exited the bathroom and headed straight out of the bedroom as well. Spark had already taken his position outside as expected. I raised my eyebrow at the fuzzy fellow, his eyelids seeming a little lazy today.

"Seems like mornings are a mutual enemy for us, huh?" I teased while nudging his shoulder.

"So it seems," he chuckled.

I gazed at him in amusement to his response. After a few moments of silence, it seemed that he too, realized the abnormality.. though I really wouldn't have minded if he didn't.

"Whoops!.. uh, I mean.." he paused to clear his throat. ".. so it seems, sir!", he corrected.

I couldn't help but smile at his brief loss of formality, the majority of these folks proved to be very pleasant individuals. I hoped that this didn't seem too presumptuous of me, but I was beginning to empathize with Celestia about these ponies.

Sure, some of them were hopeless idiots, but it didn't overshadow the fact that they all bore a genuinely happy outlook on life. It was so fragile too, but that's precisely why it was something worth protecting... but perhaps I was just getting too far over my head here. Welp, whatever.

"How about we go get some breakfast?", I suggested.

Spark nodded and began to lead the way, but I quickly caught up to him. If we were only going to the dining hall, we could simply walk side by side instead of the usual leader and follower routine.

We advanced down the typical route, my eyes awkwardly glancing at a certain door as we passed it. She couldn't possibly still be in there could she? I sure as blazes wasn't planning on checking though, her mere presence was the harbinger of disaster.

I slid into a self-embrace and shivered as I recalled the catastrophe that transpired last time I saw her.

I attempted to harden my nerves with mild success as we headed down the stairs. When we arrived down, I noticed that over at the end of it stood a certain purple alicorn with her back turned. I looked in pleasant surprise, was Twilight a resident of this castle too?

I then proceeded to quickly pace over to her.

"Well, if it isn't Twilight!", I deliberately called.

She turned towards us, giving me a clear view of the psychopathic expression she had on her face.

"Woah!", I yelped as I halted and took sight of the incredible bags under her eyes. Not to mention the huge, forced grin she had plastered on as well.

"Hi there!...You look great today.. STOP LOOKING SO GREAT!", She yelled into my face, her right eye twitching in coherence to her crazy demeanor.

"T-thanks?.. and uuh, are you... ok?", I asked as sweat dripped down my cheek.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be ok!? Are YOU ok!??", she yelled while pointing a hoof towards me in an accusative manner.

W-what in the emperors name..?

I delved into her obviously distressed eyes while nervously smiling. I then glanced over to Spark who seemed perfectly oblivious to her maniacal demeanor. As my eyes made contact with his, he gazed away and whistled nonchalantly. That traitor!

I slowly turned my head back towards Twilight and I directed her a troubled smile.

"Uuuh.. Lets go inside shall we?", I insisted while opening the door for her.

She trotted inside, eyeing me the whole length of the way with her twitchy eyes as she did so. Spark followed after her and soon, I did as well.

The dining hall was completely empty today, save for the usual bunch of guards in the corners. Actually, the security seemed like it may have been doubled.

Spark went off on his own direction to eat while me and Twilight headed towards the usual guest tables. We sat across from each other around the mid-section of the table.

I questioningly ogled at her, my gaze being answered by a nervous, psychopathic grin.

"Twilight.. you don't really seem like yourself today..", I said.

"I d-don't know what you're talking about!", she responded, beads of sweat trickling down her face.

Twilight was definitely the type to lose every single round of lava poker wasn't she? I sighed in annoyance to her stubborn façade and deadpanned at her.

"I guess I'm just imagining it.." I said with a hint of sarcasm. "..Aaanyway, what brings you here so early?"

The question seemed to have snapped her from her crazy atmosphere. If only temporarily, she took to a worried glance as she contemplated an answer to the question. At least now she didn't look like she just accidentally killed somebody in cold blood.

"To be honest, I don't know that myself. The princesses requested for me to come to the royal palace immediately. But when I arrived, they insisted I eat before hearing the 'terrible news'." she sullenly responded.

"Gah! Im just so worried! What if something happened!? What if a giant meteorite is on its way right now!? What if all of Equus is on the verge of being burned to ashes by an imminent burst of gamma rays, which approaches at the speed of light from a distant supermassive black hole!?"

She was way beyond simply "overthinking" this situation!! How can one even assume that a gamma ray burst would even remotely be the case!?

"Calm down, Twilight! I don't know why you'd overthink it to this extent. You DO realize that the chances of us getting hit by a gamma ray burst are like a one in quadrillion chance right??"

"But it's not impossible!"

To this, I facepalmed.

"Ok, lets just think about this rationally. You're a princess too right? Its probably just some sort of urgent diplomatic agenda. No meteorites, no black holes, just important princess things."

Once again, I didn't know if I was helping or not for Twilight began to slip into a depressing sulk. As to what it was that brought forth this sad gaze of hers, I did not know.. but man, was she a landslide of emotion or what?

"Important princess things, huh?", she moped.

"Did I say something wrong?", I asked worryingly.

"..No. Its just that... Every princess has a unique purpose to their coronations.. but it feels like I have no purpose to serve for Equestria of my own, even though I have these pesky wings on my back.."

"..I just don't know if this whole princess thing was meant for me."

I didn't think that Twilight had these types of issues. Wasn't the fact that she was a princess dictate her responsibility of ruling over land? Or could it be that princesses in this world all have different and unique reasons for being princesses?

Well, Celestia DID raise the sun.. and Luna also raises the moon. Surely this must mean that Twilight also had something to contribute, she just didn't know it yet.

"Hmm, doesn't the fact that you are currently a princess at all speak for itself? If my guesses are correct, then you DO have a purpose. This is just the sort of problem where you'll have to wait for the answer to come to you naturally, entirely of its own accord.", I explained in a calm collected tone.

The words weren't exactly my own, but it was still genuinely good advice. Special thanks to Mr. shady old man on my sixteenth birthday, I really wish I could've spent more than just a day with the old coot.

Twilight put a hoof to her chin as she pondered over my advice.

"Do you really think so?", she asked.

I smiled and nodded my head. I then glanced at the waiter who approached us with food-filled plates. I examined the contents, inside being scrambled eggs with bacon shaped.. grass maybe?

I wasn't touching that part but the scrambled eggs appeared to have been delicious.

"Bon appetit.", he said while placing our plates in front of us.

Twilight and I began chowing down with equal sloppiness. It was sort of amusing how she was a princess and ate like this, but dear Sozin! Was this egg freaking delicious or what?

Its awesome quality and taste compelled me to take a small bite of the bacon shaped grass. But I immediately regretted it as I spat it out onto an empty spot on my plate. Quality or not, it tasted like straight up grass.

"Nwot gwonna weat zhat?", asked twilight while her mouth was full.

I stared with interest towards her absolute lack of manners before tossing the grass bacon over. She caught them in her mouth and comically gulped them down without chewing. Not sure how that worked but it got me to release a small chuckle.

The chuckle didn't last long however, for the the aroma of herb-filled scrambled eggs had me back to stuffing my mouth in no time. After a good while of fast eating, both I and Twilight were finished with our meals.. to which we both released a hearty sigh of satisfaction. 

"Well then Kurama, I best be on my way to Celestia and Luna.", pardoned Twilight while hopping off her seat.

"Ill take you there.", I offered. "Not like I have anything better to do."

Twilight smiled and gave me a nod of appreciation for my hospitality. We then made our way towards the exit, Spark springing up from his table as he saw us leave.

"Its ok, Private! Finish your meal, I'll be sure to head back to my room after accompanying Twilight!", I mildly shouted from across the dining hall.

Spark shrugged and sat back down while Twilight and I walked out the door. We headed down the path to the throne room, Twilight seeming to know the area like the back of her han-.. hoof.

After some unexpectedly fast-paced walking, we arrived at the double doors leading to the throne room. I opened it for Twilight and motioned her to go in, once she did, I followed after her. Might as well say hi to Celestia and Luna before I return to my boring room.

I glanced towards the thrones, a third unidentified pink alicorn accompanying Luna and Celestia. We both eyed each other curiously as Twilight ran off in her direction.

"Cadence!!", excitedly yelled Twilight while embracing the pink alicorn.

This "Cadence" fellow embraced her back briefly before abruptly pulling away from it.

"I'm afraid we can't spend too much time on greetings this time my dear sis", she said.

She then turned towards me.

"You must be Kurama."

Now I wasn't some sort of oblivious fool. I could see the expressions on all three of their faces, something was seriously wrong.

"I'm sorry, should I leave?", I asked apologetically.

"No, it may be for the best if you were to listen to this as well.", answered Celestia in her behalf.

"We must hurry. Twilight and Kurama, follow us.", said Luna as she and the other two fast-trotted towards the exit.

Me and Twilight glanced at each other in confusion and nervousness before following behind.





Celestia enveloped the book which we were all circling around with her magic, then opening it soon after.

"Tirek and his brother Scorpen came here from a distant land, intent on stealing Equestrian magic. But Scorpen soon came to appreciate the ways of Equestria, even befriending a young unicorn wizard.", began Celestia.

"Scorpen urged his brother to abandon their plans. When Tirek refused, Scorpen alerted us to Tirek's intentions.", continued Luna.

"Scorpen returned to his own land, and Tirek was sent to tartarus for his crimes. But it appears he has found a way to escape.", finished Celestia.

"We believe it happened when Cerberus left his post at the gates.", said Luna.

I took a quick minute to gather my thoughts on the situation. It appeared that this "Tirek" person was vanished to the equivalent of hell on this dimension and managed to escape? I would have immediately labeled him as awesome if he wasn't made out to be such an evil being.

Tirek, huh?

My eyebrow raised as the deep, manly voice echoed through my head.

What, you know him?

A fine example of a specimen. I wish he had been the one to come across me instead of you, brat.

BLEH. Too bad!

Tch. Are you a child? Annoying fool. 

Well I'm right though. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. Also you seem weirdly calm today.

I am in quite the favorable mood. If Tirek has really escaped, then it's only a matter of time before he steals all Equestrian magic and annihilates you all. Heh. It was due time you were put down, Scum.

This guy must have seriously been trouble if Disem thought this highly of him.

"But that was a long time ago, why is he just now starting to steal magic?", asked Twilight.

"His time in Tartarus left him very weak. He has just now, gained enough strength to use his dark powers.", answered Celestia.

"But with each passing moment, he grows stronger still.", said Luna.

"Do we have a safe way to take action against him without endangering any lives?", I asked.

"Yes, and I know just the princess who could stop him.", answered Cadence while confidently glancing at Twilight.

Twilight swiftly picked up on what it was that she was hinting at and began to take the duty upon herself.

"Yes! Ill find him and-"

"No Twilight." Interrupted Celestia. "I'm afraid I must call in another to stop Tirek.."

"Discord"

Twilight, Cadence, and even Luna all gasped at the mention of that name. This only served to confuse me even more than I sort of already was.

"Discord?", I asked.

"He is a former enemy reformed into a friend.", answered Luna.

"But why.. Discord?", questioned Twilight.

"Because his magic allows him the ability to sense whenever there is a magical disturbance in the air.", responded Celestia.

"Now go Twilight, spread the word for no one to dare step a hoof out of their homes until this situation is resolved.", she finished.

Twilight had quite the distraught expression as she nodded and slowly trotted towards the exit, her head hung low.

"Kurama, feel free to return to your chambers as well.", said Celestia.

I turned towards her and gazed deeply into her eyes with a worried look.

"Sure.. but if something comes up-"

"I know. At this point, I am not entitled to keep you in the dark. If something were to come up, I'll make sure to send word to you immediately.", she reassured.

I smiled and walked over to Cadence.

"Sorry, last time we weren't able to properly introduce each other were we?"

She smiled and extended a hoof.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, at your service.", she greeted.

"Kurama Li Feng, the pleasure is all mine.", I returned while shaking her hoof. I then began to wave goodbye as I exited the room.

I closed the door behind me and attempted to recall the path we took from the throne room. After a while of retracing my steps, a poof of white light suddenly sparked in front of me.

It swiftly left as it came, it's only remnant being the seriously screwed up looking creature left in front of me. And I mean SERIOUSLY screwed up, the damn thing didn't have a single pair of body parts that matched.

"Oh? And just what are you supposed to be?", he asked in a sarcastic tone.

"That's MY question pal!", I rudely answered.

He snapped his jacked up fingers, a graduation gown suddenly having been summoned onto his long slender body.

"In all my years as a passionate scholar, I have never seen such a thing as you.. Kurama is it?", he said while gawking at my chest.

"How did you know my name!?", I hissed.

The graduation gown then disappeared as he rolled his eyes.

"Just what do you mean? It says it right there.", he said while pointing at my chest.

I glanced down at a name tag which stated "Hello my name is Kurama... PS. Discord is awesome". When the flying flicker did that get there? Was it this guys doing? wait.

"You're Discord!?", I loudly asked.

He put one of his inter-species fingers onto my lips and hushed me.

"Oh please Kurama, use your inside voice. Some of us have royal business to attend to.", he said while poofing a tuxedo onto his body, a suitcase and a bowler hat also having been animated from thin air.

"Chao~"

Before I could question him as to what sort of physics-altering deity he was, Discord disappeared with another bright poof of magic.

"W-what just happened..?"

After being stunned in confusion for a few moments, I resumed the tread back to my chambers. When I arrived, I greeted Spark who stood on his usual spot and entered it.

I skipped over to my bed and sat on it, focusing my eyes intently on the door. If that thing was truly the one who we were depending on, then things were bound to go terribly wrong.

I don't know how he can manipulate physics in that manner, but one thing's for certain. That guy was the last thing you'd want to put your faith in. Yes, he was the most troublesome type of despicable individual.

"A person who truly rejoiced in hitting others with the most unexpected twists, like betrayal perhaps.."
> New threat II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  I opened my eyes and gently lowered my arms, feelings of un-amusement also beginning to grip my mind.

I just couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling for long enough to meditate. It made sure to not even allow me to close my eyes for long in fear of missing something, anything.

I did not feel like the situation was resolved one bit, my uncertainty previously forcing me to pace back and forth in the space of my room for the last five to six hours.

In that span I tried multiple things to pass the time, none of which required for me to sit still. My activities ranged from basic workouts to even swatting dust off the floor, all in an effort to calm myself down.

After a critical combo of deep breaths, I attempted to settle down onto my bed and meditate, but the results have been increasingly unsatisfactory. 

Discord certainly left me with quite the questionable impression, and a strong gust of intuition begged me to somehow take matters into my own hand.

However, Im afraid that this wasn't an option. If I went and acted on my own, It would have just caused trouble for the strategy that was already at hand. So no matter how much this feeling of unease haunted me, I would just have to believe in Discord.

After all, he had the trust of a princess. If Celestia felt like she could trust him, then who was I to doubt her beliefs?

I scratched my head and sighed as I stood to my feet. I then went over to the curtains and opened them, my action revealing the blackened piece of architecture that was my window.

I opened that as well and gazed outside.

Every building seemed to have been hammered shut and the streets were completely devoid of any activity. Was this "Tirek" really so dangerous that these extreme measures had to be taken?

He was a single creature, yet his escape called for the need to shut in an entire city. My facial features stiffened as my imagination ran wild trying to picture his appearance.

Could he have been a pony? A zebra? Or was he also a jumbled mess of body parts like Discord? No, to incite this much fear, he had to be some sort of hundred foot tall beast.

And to make matters certainly not better, he was apparently worthy of Disem's praise.. A monster, he definitely had to be some type of ruthless monster.

I sighed again and continued to gaze out of the window. I never took the chance to closely examine it until now, but Canterlot was truly different from the capitol over at home.

Though I should probably stop referring to that place as such. My "home" was here in this luxurious castle, I didn't need to return to my life of poverty over at the fire nation. And I had no way of knowing if it was even possible to return.

Besides, its not like I had much to lose by staying here.. not like I had anything left now to begin with that is. I scowled and spat a good amount of saliva out the window.

It was so high up, that I lost sight of it long before it hit the ground. If I were to fall from here, my life would flash before my eyes around a hundred times. I shivered and slowly pulled away from the window, even falling had to have its limits.

As I pulled away, my eyes locked onto a purple dot in the sky. I questioningly raised my right eyebrow as the dot approached at high speeds.

It soon took form into that of a frantic Twilight as it flew further into my line of accurate vision. Before a multitude of awaiting assumptions could flood my consciousness, a loud knock echoed through my room. The amount of hints presented allowing for me to quickly put two and two together. 

Something went wrong.

I ran over to my door and snapped it open. Outside stood a panting guard, Spark seemingly nowhere to be seen. He began to open his mouth, but was stopped by my hand.

"Its ok, I know exactly where im needed. If you have any other orders, go tend to them immediately.", I said while stepping out of my chambers.

I noticed his nod at the corner of my eyes as I stormed past him and towards the throne room. I rushed into the staircase, loud sounds of accelerated trotting originating from beneath me.

Twilight was also on her way up. I was pulled between waiting for her to come up or simply going on ahead instead. But with no time to strongly latch onto one of these choices, I absent-mindedly continued to head up the stairs.

It didn't take long to reach the peak of said stairs with my hard sprinting. I made sure to keep the flurry of motion which were my legs on overdrive as I headed towards the throne rooms double doors.

With a small gust of wind, an airborne Twilight zoomed past me and over to the doors. I picked up the pace and quickly found myself at her side as she swung the doors open.

We ran a good length down the red carpet before we halted, Twilight beginning to state her concerns on behalf of both of us.

"I came as quickly as I could! Is something wrong!? Is it Tirek??"

The three alicorns before us gazed in our direction with doleful expressions. I bit my lip at the sight, I could assume that this wasn't going to be good news.

"Im afraid I put too much trust in Discord, and the effect that friendship would have upon him.", began Celestia while slightly stepping forward.

"Discord has betrayed the ponies of Equestria, and joined forces with Tirek.", continued Luna in a regretful tone.

This proved my assumptions about Discord to be undoubtedly correct. I tsked at my reluctant manner of going about these strong beliefs, I lived in a world full of unpleasant people long enough to be able to sort the good from the trash. And Discord certainly didn't strike me as the former.

Also, I sensed that he wasn't a pushover the second that his presence entwined with mine. So to think that he joined forces with another sort of strong enemy served to put a bad taste in my mouth.

"How could he do this!?", questioned Twilight with evident sorrow to her voice. "I thought our friendship meant something to him!.. I thought he had changed!"

The three alicorns exchanged sorrowful glances before Celestia solemnly continued.

"Tirek has stolen enough magic that he now has the strength to steal flight as well.. without pegasi to control the weather, there will be no rain in Equestria."

"There is word he has gone after earth ponies as well... without their strength, they will not be able to tend the land.", added Luna.

"Ponies will no longer be in control of their world, that power will belong solely to Tirek!", she finished with urgency to her tone.

I was listening intently, processing the information. Pegasi controlled the weather, while earth ponies tended to the land. I would have held shock by the fact that the weather here could be manipulated.. if Luna and Celestia didn't already raise the sun and the moon.

But more importantly, these supernatural traits were being stolen and amassed into a single creature. If this "Tirek" continued his spree of magic theft, he was bound to become unstoppable.

It seems Tirek has already regained enough power to maintain his basic form, brat. Whatever efforts you and your sickening pony allies put forth will now be meaningless.

I tried to ignore his taunting, a drop of sweat running down my cheek.

"There is no doubt Tirek is after alicorn magic.. with Discord by his side, we will not be able to stop him from taking it.", admitted Celestia.

"Once it is in his possession, his powers will know no bounds, and all hope will be lost." regrettably stated Luna.

"Hmm.. but that cant be all that there is to it, right? Cant you hide your magic from him in some way?" I asked.

"I regret to say that you aren't far from the adequate solution, Kurama..", answered Celestia. 

She and her two other companions gently drifted into the air towards us. I nervously stepped aside as they landed before Twilight.

".. For it is only through this sacrifice that Equestria and the lands beyond it might be saved."

The tall alicorn briefly closed her eyes in lament to what she was about to say. 

".. We must rid ourselves of our magic, before Tirek has a chance to steal it from us!", she firmly finished.

A loud auditory gasp escaped Twilight. It was enough to let me know that the loss of magic to these ponies was a huge price to pay. But the situation called for it, or else we were up against unparalleled defeat. I hardened my expression and nodded in agreement to her solution, Twilights still having an expression of shock equipped onto her muzzle.

"Tirek is set on possessing alicorn magic. When he comes for us, we can not have what he is looking for.", reiterated Luna.

This served to snap Twilight out of her daze, a new look of determination then surfacing itself onto her face. She heaved her chest up and raised a proud hoof.

"Im more than willing to do my part and give up my magic.", she valiantly declared.

"You misunderstand.", informed the dark blue alicorn. "Our magic cannot just disappear into thin air. Somepony must keep it safe!"

".. That somepony is you Twilight.", finished Cadence as she moved closer to her.

"... Why me?", questioned Twilight with a staggered expression.

"We do not believe that Tirek is aware that a fourth alicorn princess exists in Equestria. If we transfer our magic to you, Tirek will not know where it has gone.", clarified Celestia.

It sounded reasonable enough, but I couldn't help but worry. However it was that they were planning to do it, these three were about to transfer their means of self defense to Twilight.

Plus I was certain that this was so that she could go into hiding, which left the other alicorns defenseless against Tirek and Discord who may even be on their way as we speak. This was beginning to seem troublesome indeed.

"Do you understand what we're asking of you?", softly asked Cadence.

"Yes.. its just, im only now learning to control my own alicorn magic.. to take on even more-"

"Twilight", gently interrupted the pink alicorn mare. "You represent the element of magic, if there is anypony who can do this.. its you."

Celestia, Luna, and I all nodded at her reasoning, even though I was completely lost as to what exactly they were talking about. At least.. it sounded like a valid enough reason for Twilight to be the one, this whole element of magic thing.

"Taking on this task will be one of the most difficult things I will ever do, but with the help of my friends..!"

"Im sorry princess Twilight.", interrupted Celestia before she could go any further. ".. But you must keep your new abilities a secret. I fear that your friends being aware of your new power, could put them at great risk.."

"Do you still think you can take on this responsibility?", 

Twilight didn't need much time to think as another determined look was once again etched onto her face. 

"This is the role I am meant to play as a princess of Equestria! I will not fail to do my duty!", she stated while directing me a look that was full of cause and enlightenment.

I answered her look with a shrug and smile, good for her to have finally found her purpose.

"Then we must begin at once.", urged Celestia. "Stand back, Kurama."

I complied and stepped a good distance back. Once I did so, they all assumed certain positions around Twilight, suspense thickly encompassing the air.

"Wait!", said Twilight. "What about Kurama's magic?", she asked while looking over to me.

Cadence eyed me with equal confusion while Celestia and Luna gave me a simple glance, practically ordering me to hurry and explain it to them.

"Its not magic. It is a martial art that is fueled by the suns rays and my emotions. I will explain it to you all in detail once we've avoided this disaster, but for now lets proceed quickly.", I vaguely explained.

Cadence's confused look was silently put to rest while Twilight looked on with raging interest. However, her gaze was soon interrupted by Celestia clearing her throat.

"We must hurry.", she said.

They took a moment to gather their nerves before taking readied stances. Their horns then began to glow as they exerted dangerous-looking amounts of power into them. Soon, their eyes snapped open into a radiance of white light and began to focus their powers into a single point.

I gawked in astonishment while an orb began to swell on top of them. It didn't take long before said orb was now stretched widely across the throne room, the huge mass of energy making my hairs stand up upon contact to its electrifying radiance.

I squinted my eyes and put a hand over my forehead as Twilights horn began to drain a fraction of the huge sphere's massive reserve of twisting energy. I looked on in worried anticipation as the grand orb of blinding white light slowly began to approach her.

Is she going to be alright??

The orb plummeted onto her with a flash of blinding light which rendered my eyes null and useless. I yelped and rubbed my closed eyelids, the surrounding area suddenly going quiet.

I attempted to open my aching eyes but could only see darkness. I continued to tend to them and eventually, color returned to my vision, allowing me to witness the scene splayed before me.

Cadence, Luna, and Celestia were all spread across the ground as they lifted their heads to glance at the floating Twilight. A bright display of light encompassed her eyes and body, her hair also flowing solely due to the formidable pressure which her presence was now emitting.

She convulsed and spasmed to huge abundances of rippling power that attempted to leave their tight confines with no success.

I quickly rushed over to the alicorns and helped them up while Twilight slowly drifted towards the ground. I then paced over to her as well an ensured that the dizzy mare landed on her feet safely. 

She rubbed her head before exchanging heart-felt glances with the other three alicorns. The exchange was interrupted by conflicted Twilight rushing over to Celestia and gripping her with a saddening embrace, a lone tear flowing down her purple cheek.

My eyes were drawn to the lack of cutie marks on their rumps, everybody else also beginning to notice it for themselves.

"It is done.", sighed Celestia.

The place was filled with a dreadful silence, the mood being thick in gloom. Twilight sat on her posterior and gazed at the ground with her ears lowered.

"You must go Twilight, every second you spend here is a risk that we cannot take.", urged the white alicorn mare.

Twilight lowered her head some more and frowned in acknowledgement. She stood up and gave the three a heart wrenching look before running out of the room.

I saw her off with sympathetic waves, a look of concern occupying my face. However, it was cut short by a flash of lavender in front of the door, the light then dispersing to reveal the purple alicorn in question. She turned towards us and chuckled nervously.

"Sorry!", she apologized while darting out of the room for a second time. I lowered my head to the side and scratched my sideburn in confusion.

What the..

  
> Newfound Determination 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  If there was a way to describe this atmosphere, it would definitely be the utter, most pure and vibrant form of gloom. 

These alicorns seemed so miserable that it even may have rubbed off on Desim, for he hasn't taunted me a single time in the past hour, surprisingly enough.

After Twilight left, they assumed their positions on their thrones, with Cadence simply taking a seat on the floor next to them. And the veil of negative energy that seemed to shroud them making it increasingly difficult to approach them, much less even attempt to brighten up the mood.

And so, for that reason I found myself sitting in the sidelines of the spacey enclosure about four or five meters away from them. Arms crossed, knees wobbly, and a slowly forming pool of sweat comically surrounding me.

The situation was way too much to take in no matter how many times I thought about it, and quite frankly, I was afraid. 

Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of this unspecified creature with powers that were apparently godly in nature, as well as his weird and utterly unpredictable deity sidekick, so to speak.

And while I wouldnt say that I didnt feel shame in admitting this, I also wouldn't say that my little fit of the scares wasn't justified. For one thing, I hadn't been this shaken since the time my father first took me out to hunt bat coyotes..

That could not possibly be a good sign right? But more importantly, it haunted me the most how lifeless the lack of magic could make a pony look. Its as if there was little to no spirit, or even an ounce of motivation remaining.

I inched my eyes in their direction once more, the evident lack of vitality in their eyes tempting me to retract my gaze. Their big eyes just didn't look right like that, with such dead and spiritless appearances to them. 

Despite my temptations, I kept my sight locked on them to the point where you could say I was staring.. no rudeness intended of course. But I guess staring really was a detectable thing, since Celestia seemed to rapidly make eye contact with me. 

I flinched a bit at her sudden establishment of eye contact, but did not refrain from looking further into her defeated eyes. My clumsy actions also seemed to humor her for a small smile spread across her face. I returned it and saw this as a chance to brighten up the mood with a cheesy joke. However, my attempt was postponed as Celestia's voice proved to be faster.

"You are not obligated to stay," she began, her voice filling the void of silence that was her throne room, all the while incurring glances from Luna and Cadence at her side.

"It is only a matter of time before Tirek and Discord arrive, and while you certainly are a capable warrior, I fear that even you would meet defeat at their hands," she finished.

This only served to harden the muscles on my face. As a Firebender, I do hate being underestimated, but as a human being with a heart, I hate it even more that she'd suggest I save myself and leave them to perish.

"You know very well that I can't do that princess," I plainly stated, my response looking to have troubled the three if their now curled upper lips were any way to judge.

"Kurama please, we commend you on your bravery, but even if you are of foreign origins, me and Luna have quickly learned to view you as a precious subject. We beg of you, do not make us relive the horrors of losing a valuable friend," hoarsedly pleaded the white alicorn.

Her concerns weren't lost on me in the least, but I was still slightly pestered by her stubbornness. Unluckily for her, the very moment I was bent on guarding them, my own unyielding stubbornness was carved in stone. A stubbornness that I recall my teachers refer to as 'strong enough to rival that of any sun.'

"I repeat. Im not going to leave you guys behind." I sternly claimed in a manner that helped get across my resolve. And so, me and Celestia shared an intense bout of us eyeing at each other competitively, her face taking on a fustrated expression.

It was a shocking sight to see her unable to keep a straight face, but I concluded that it was her lack of magic that weakened her will to do so. It also seemed to make a pony very prone to irritation as well, for Celestia shouldn't be the type to lose to just a lack of will alone, her being a ruler for thousands of years and all.

"Kurama. You are making this much harder than it needs to be, I am sorry that we got you involved, but leave us. It is for the best that you go assist Twilight and the elements instead." She explained impatiently. 

I half contemplated doing as she said, but one look at her and her companions was enough to quickly brush the thought aside. I didn't want it to come to this, but I was going to have to be much more assertive if I wanted to convince an immortal ruler.

"How many times do you intend to make me say it? NO!" I barked in a tone that made it seem like I was slightly challenging her authority. But I didn't have time to worry about that now, I should have already learned time and time again that indecisiveness is the first step to screwing up in crucial situations. I made my decision and by all means, It was imperative for their well being that I grew a backbone and stuck to it.

However, my conviction was obviously lost on Celestia as she took to a cold expression and silently glared at me, observing... coldly analyzing the man in front of her who even went as far as to return her glare. She frowned slightly and began to raise her hind quarters up off her throne.

"Leave at once! This is an order!" She harshly commanded, the sudden raise in her voice startling the two alicorns aside her. Said alicorns also beginning to observe us as we argued on.

I was beginning to get a bit riled up at this point. No matter how cool headed I intended to be sometimes, the truth of the matter was that like most Firebenders, I was a hopeless pile of unstable anger with enough stimuli. The only difference was that I was raised to control myself a bit more than others.. I think.

"And why should I take orders from you? You mentioned that I was your subject, but when exactly did I let myself be looked down upon by you, huh!?" I rudely commented. My remark making Luna and Cadence gasp in astonishment, a look of unexpectancy also inhabiting Celestia's face for a few seconds.

"Hold caution to the way you speak to me," she sharply commented, "Have you already forgotten who it was that granted you the privilege of staying in MY castle?" She asked in a challenging manner. 

I glared daggers into her eyes and she glared arrows into mine. I slightly clenched my fist at her challenge, a drop of sweat running down my cheek in response to the very problematic situation at hand. However, I wasn't going to back down and give her what she wanted, afterall, I wasn't a pony, and she was NOT my superior.

But don't get me wrong, my gratitude for the shelter and food they provide me is enormous, but thats exactly why I can't just-.. leave. I don't care what sort of enemy i'll face and I certainly do not intend to lose, but if she thinks i'll leave them to their impending doom simply because she wanted to be all motherly and sweet, she had another blasted thing coming. Even if I had to rudely self establish myself as her equal, I needed to make sure I got my way this time!

Humorous.

I ignored the voice and continued with the battle of glares, my decision already clear in my subconscious. 

"It seems so," I coldly stated while squinting my eyes in acceptance to her challenge. Celestia's eye twitched before a very noticeable frown formed on her muzzle, my eyes widening at the rare sight which was a furious Celestia. Her eyes glowed a dim and lifeless white as she spread her wings and raised one of her forelegs.

"BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT, OR ELSE!!" She boomed in a voice that resembled the very crackle of thunder itself. The castle shook under the might of her explosive speaking ability. The volume tempting me to flinch, but my pride not allowing me to even stumble as the castle shook on.

Amidst the chaos, I did manage to think up a way to ensure this didn't break out into a full fledge battle. However.. I felt my heart slightly sink as I realized exactly how problematic the situation was going to keep getting.. for me atleast.

When the building ceased its tremors, an eerie silence encompassed the riled up throne room. Celestia continued to gaze in my direction with cold and merciless eyes while I managed to keep staring right back. Another drop of sweat ran down my back as I readied myself for the ultimate act of disrespect that was about to take place.

My palm burst into a loud crackle of flames as I made sure to give off a pungent killing intent in the direction of the three princesses. 

"Are you gonna come down here and make me?" I bluntly threatened. The three alicorns soon gawking in disbelief to what I had just done, even Celestia transitioning momentarily from anger to the morbid realization of a possible enemy right here in front of her. It hurt my chest to see myself become an enemy in her eyes so quickly. However, It was to my advantage, as an enemy she had no choice but to take me seriously and comply with my demands.

"I trust you're wise enough to understand. You can barely defeat a fly right now Celestia! You are in no position to be talking back to me!!" I angrily shouted while pointing a flaming finger in her direction.

She quietly responded with a neutral expression, a sigh then escaping her mouth. Cadence also starting to defiantly glare at the new threat in front of her while Luna was still stuck in a state of shock.

"It seems I have misjudged you Kurama," she regrettably stated. "I should have known that it was foolish of me to put my trust in you, just like I did with Discord.. I truly must be loosing my ability to judge character." Taunted the white alicorn.

"Be quiet. You brought this upon yourself." I responded coldly.

"I was indeed wrong about you. I have failed to recount the many times a villain has told me those exact set of words." She continued to verbally attack.

She was truly someone who knew how to use her words to her advantage. My heart was ready to burst as regret was already beginning to pinch the back of my mind. But I couldn't allow myself to lose to regret this time around. Its not like I could just say sorry, waltz out of the room towards Twilight, and make it like nothing happened. There was no longer any turning back whether I regretted it or not.

"Whatever. Sit down unless you want to find out how magic-less alicorn meat smells like when cooked to medium rare." I warned with a killing intent strong enough to tranquilize a rat.

Celestia and Cadence quietly complied and stayed on high alert while Luna gave me the most heart crushing look that may have ever been directed to me.

"Kurama.. you-," she began but was stopped by my extended palm.

"Save it. Im sure you can comprehend the situation for yourself.. Luna," I struggled to mutter out. As a result of this, a truly hurt expression formed on Luna's muzzle, soon followed by one of unconstrained anger.

"Do you mean to say that our friendship was for naught too!? That our promise was a lie!?" She lashed out, her questions seeming like they pierced straight through my heart. My chest ached with the temptation to end this maddening façade, but I managed to persevere.

I simply closed my eyes and turned my head to the side to let her know I had no intention of discussing the matter with her. As a result, she herself also remained quiet, visibly boiling inside with hardened and moist eyes.

I kept my gaze on them and reclaimed my seat, my guard and sight locked on the sole objective of keeping these three as my prisoners. Silence also filling the throne room once again, the thick gloom replaced with a threatening intent to kill.

I couldn't believe how fast this had unfolded.. a solid three minutes ago they were my friends. But now. Now they were my hostages, a simple bunch of prisoners that were at the mercy of my hungry flames. If the elder man from my sixteenth birthday could see me now, he would definitely shake his head in disappointment to the dirty scheme I was chose to rely on.

This must have been the result of the evil blood flowing through my veins. The blood of a Firebender, one who can't do anything but forcibly try and bend others to his will.. dammit, dammit, dammit! This wasn't the sort of warrior I intended to be! I shouldn't have cracked under pressure like this! Luna.. i'm so sorry..

But sadly, there was no use beating myself up over it now, whats done is done. Now I just need to protect these bunch, only then will I allow myself to go into detail over how I'll find a new roof to sleep in.

That'll be fun.

But for now.. I gotta wait. 



( Third person)

An unknown forest rattles with the rapid steps of an unknown shadow that runs at speeds rivaling the wind itself. The shadow darts forward without any consideration to the trees that are sliced out of its path. But there is no such luxury of consideration for the shadow.

It must hurry, for its purpose has ironically begun to be its undoing and harbinger of disaster. 

The wicked shadow had given many valuable things for its purpose, one of those valuable things being its ability to interpret the visual brilliance of the world. Yes, the shadow had even given its sight in exchange for swords.

And now, the swords have rebelled against the shadow that runs. The shadow that runs to preserve its ideals and reason to bow to existence. 

Run shadow. Run.

A loud whack echoes through the unknown forest, its decree of silence being disrupted by the merciless melody of hardened flesh as it flails on the soft forest soil.

Get up shadow. Get up. You must run.

Pitter-patter goes the resumed stride of the bolting shadow. Its purpose must be rethinked. Its destination must be recalculated. It is tired of running. Its legs can no longer endure. Its sword can no longer cut. Its eyesockets feel null and void.

The shadow must endure. The shadow must run.

A heavenly force pursues the shadow. A force that had once stripped the shadow of everything. But now, it follows indiscriminately, with the intent to take it all from the shadow again.

Another whack booms throughout the dead forest. The trees begin to retreat as the shadow advances forward. They cry for mercy and run as fast as their poor wooden roots allow them.

The thick pungent scent of blood heavily ecompasses the air. The blood of the trees.

The shadow must be relentless. It must continue to run. It must continue to trample over the corpses of trees it had undone. Its purpose must be rethinked, its destination must be recalculated. 

The heavenly force draws near, the soil is marinated in the crimon sap of the trees. A deep crack in the veil of nature grows wider, wider, wider. 

The shielded illusion of peace has been shattered. War has once again shown its ugly bowels to be writhing with the hunger. The maddening hunger of drunken bloodspill.

A final whack echoes throughout the overgrown forest of scattered flesh. The shadow has to bear the brunt of the sounds, an unending conveyance of maddening pain being distributed to both its ear drumbs.

Yet the shadow must hurry. It must advance forward, through the trees, until it has finally emerged from the hellish forest.

Run shadow. Run.

  
> Heated Encounter!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  He is here, brat.

To my increasing pool of nervousness, and to support Desim's claim, the castle began to shake as some sort of beast approached the throne rooms double doors.

I glanced over to the three princesses only to see them assume rebellious stances in response. This served to let me know in full that the thing that has arrived is the Tirek in question. Butterflies began to roam every crevice of my stomach, and my knees felt slightly weak. 

But it was just a minor hindrance, I had to fight. I had to protect them.  My gaze was intent on the double doors as they smashed open to reveal my foe.

He definitely did not fall short when it came to intimidating appearances, his body breaming with muscles that seemed to be as hard as steel. He had a deadly set of tall, thick horns, its edges glistening with a profound sharpness. My eyes then widened a tiny bit at the size of his biceps, one solid punch seeming like it could impale me.

His torso was set ontop of a lower body which resembled that of an equine, his musculature legs bulging with hardened flesh. I also noticed how tough his skin seemed to be as it was stretched by his bulging anotomy.

And his eyes also glowed a piercing yellow, just like the glow of a swamp panther as it slithers towards its prey, lusting to feel its jaws sink into into the soft flesh of a boars windpipe.. oddly enough, I was feeling a strange affiliation to the boar.

Butterflies again. However, this was still a simple minor hindrance, its not like warriors were entitled to fear their opponents.. yea. That would be taboo..

My eyes remained fixated on the macho monstrosity as it continued to rattle the castle under its mighty stomps. A shiver then going down my back as it fails to notice me and stomps right past my sitting body.

It seemed to have been too deeply into a focused trance to care about its surroundings, only focusing on the princesses in front of him. Good. I had the element of surprise. Now i just need to.. huh?

I attempted to get up, but it was to no avail for my legs would not listen to me. They wobbled and trembled with the effort I applied to them but the stimulation of movement was weakly subsided.

I stared at my legs in deep panicked confusion. Was it possible that the enemy had already iniated some sort of attack to the sensory nerves below my waist?

Impossible. No matter what sorcery or magic he had, he couldn't immobilize me by simply walking past me. That just wouldn't be fair!

I frantically continued to try and move my legs, a deep turmoil seeming to grip my consciousness as I watched Tirek get closer and closer to the princesses.

Move.. Move.. Move dammit!!

My knees rapidly shook and wobbled as I emitted more and more effort into bending them to my will, sweat also beggining to shroud my exposed torso for reasons which I simply couldn't comprehend.

Soon, my entire body was trembling with some sort of feeling, a feeling that gripped me as if I was a weak doll being flailed around by the jaws of a beardog.. I seemed to have been immobilized by some sort of magic spell! I needed to find a way to break out of it immediatl-

Cease this farce brat. I can feel it radiating off your essence like a forest fire.. Hmm yes, its been so long since I was last bathed in this sweet aroma. Hehe, oh how I love the thrilling and savory delight that is emitted from the tendrils of deep, putrid fear.

I immediately froze upon hearing his statement. My mouth slightly opened as my breath began to shake, the slimy feeling of sweat droplets sliding down my back also becoming much more vivid to me.

I slowly brought my palms up to my face. I did not have to inspect them for long due to the gravity in which they were shaking, my eyes widening at the irregular sight, my breath falling deeper and deeper into disarray. I wanted to speak, I wanted to scold my palms even though I knew full well that they weren't at fault.

But.. my lips were also tranquilized with the influence of this strange sensation. 

Fear..? Impossible. I've felt fear before, and this horrible feeling that gripped my mind could not compare to it. Not even close, this sensation must have been something completely different.

In my long reign of existence, I have learned that fear itself is more of a category of many exotic feelings rather than a single feeling. The type of fear which you are currently experiencing is one of my favorites, the fear of unanimous failure. The fear that you will fail and lose everything. 

W-what?

As soon as you felt his presence, your instincts wasted no time in conveying to you the difference in power. You know that you cannot win, and because of that you unconsciously chose to sit back and let the princesses meet their end. A smart choice for a fool like you, I must say.

N-no! Thats not.. I.. I said I was going to protect them!

I would not object if you ultimately decide on suicide by fighting him. But if I am to be freed of you I'd rather your death be long and painful instead of quick and painless.

But I can take him! Firebending isn't magic! It should have some sort of effect on him since all his power is magic based. If I just-

Whether or not your ability is magic is not the issue here. If you truly call yourself a warrior you should know that what it comes down to is offense against defense. You cannot penetrate his hard leather skin with your puny level of flames. Tirek is a completely different lifeform from you, his species has evolved way beyond what a silly human could in terms of naturalborne power.

T-then how am I supposed to beat him? I have to fight and win!

You have two options. One is to run with your tail between your legs, effectively making your little villainous act a pitiful excuse for a strategy and leaving those weakling alicorns to perish. Or you could fight, making you valiant and heroic, but you will meet the ultimate dead end to your insignificant existence, death. Even a fool like you should know which choice will better preserve you and your idiotic ideals, although I would not mind to consequently be rid of you if you decide to keep playing the utter fool.

I.. I will fight..

And here I was under the impression that humans were highly intellectual creatures. Comical.

Shut up! I.. have to!

Because you promised yourself? Don't make me laugh, all that a promise amounts to is an obscure assurance of groundless expectations. It is only a means to try and manipulate the future in accordance to your transparent ideals.

W-why do you even care? You'd jump at the chance to get rid of me right?

Gladly, but my very essence cannot stand the idiotic contradictions and loopholes to these repulsing philosophies of yours. In the end, the reason behind kindness and good will always tends to root back to the self.

The.. self?

Yes, the reason you help others is to satisfy yourself. Whenever you make someone else happy, you are struck by a sense of self satisfaction which drives you to do it again. You want to be happy about yourself and who you are, so you constantly seek this satisfaction which stems from good deeds. You are ultimately benefitting yourself, are you not?

Benefitting.. myself?

That's right, benifitting yourself. No matter which angle in which you view it, the force that drives all living creatures to survive is self benefit. Thus, what is the aim in putting an end to yourself to satisfy yourself? This meaningless contradiction will only end the ideal self which you are striving so gallantly to protect. As a living creature, your first priority has always been yourself, even when you have helped others. Never has it been for any other reason but your own ideal gain. Stop this foolishness, you know what you must do to keep on protecting the self that belongs to you. There is only one way to benefit at this moment, and that is a simple thing. You must retreat, so that you'll live to satisfy yourself another day. And to the least, you will be alive to mourn the princesses, it is the kindest act you can give to them.

I struggled.. I struggled with every miniscule pixel of effort I could muster to forcibly contemplate something, anything that could disprove what he told me.

His words resounded through my head as if they were the final verdict of a supreme relayer of primordial law. It made sense, I could find no flaw in his judgement. He was thousands upon thousands of years wiser than me, he must have been speaking undisputed fact. It seems he nailed it all right in the money.

I never thought about it until now.. but I really do help others to satisfy myself. And I was simply human, theres no way I could take on that thing! It was hopeless, I had to get out of there! Its not like the princesses will think worst of me for it.. they shouldn't expect anything from their enemy.

Relief surged through my body as the realization hit me. 

T-thats right! They already think of me as a villain.. surely they dont have the right to complain if I left! Celestia was practically screaming for me to leave anyway, haha!

I was already sneaking towards the exit, my mind refusing to think any further in shameful fear that my mental quote could be debunked. 

My eyes viewed the double doors hungrily, as if they were food and I hadn't eaten in weeks. My pace quickened and my tippy toes slightly trembled in grim anticipation of being spotted.

With an overly cautious final leap, I finally found myself upon reach level to the doors.

My arm quickly extended out to open it as more and more relief expanded throughout my stiff body, my hand soon encasing the glittering doorknob.

 (the music for this scene. You guys know the drill, dont play it too loud and either stop when you see the signal or let it play if there is no signal)

I began to discreetly turn the knob. My action however, was brought to a sudden halt as a piercing voice echoed through the throne room.

"WHERE IS YOUR MAGIC!!!" echoed the dominant broad voice of Tirek. I slowly inched my gaze behind me, my eyes widening as my blurry vision made out what seemed to be Celestia. Her slender neck being in the firm grasp of Tireks mighty hands. She tried her best to keep a defiant gaze but the pain she was in was obvious to any who could see her facial muscles contort. 

Images of my times in the castle flashed through my mind, the good times, the bad times. Times when i've had the most fun and joy, times when i've been the most angry.. before I knew it I was already dashing in her direction.

I was not thinking, I was not feeling, I was simply acting. 

I engulfed both my hands in flames and burst forward to close the distance between me and the white alicorn that desperately needed my help. I then came to a flaming halt at Tirek's side, my action startling both him and the princesses. 

"HRRRNGG!!" I grunted as I put all my might into an outburst of flames using both my hands, all directed towards the dumbfounded Tirek. The force of the jetting fire violently recoiled me back, my body smashing into the the throne room walls. However, my foe received the full brunt of the force, his body smashing through straight through the wall, gravity beggining to pull him down the arduous length of the castles height. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaah," he yelled on his trip to meet the hard ground down below.

I struggled to breathe as I unburied myself out of the wall and walked over to the gaping hole which Tirek created. My eyes were devoid of emotion when they made contact with Celestia's eyes, her face having a clear expression of worried shock. I soon diverted my gaze upon reaching the hole and prepared to jump after him.

"KURAMA, DONT GO!" Yelled Luna, but her plea was ignored as I leaped out without thinking. 

Wind rushed past my face, my cape being brought upwards by the speed in which I fell. My eyes locked on a spacious crater which was happily occupied by Tirek, my body's descent picking up even more speed.

Once I was a considerable way down, I jetted flames downward with nothing less than every fiber of my strength, the dangerously potent fire smashing into Tirek while the recoil cushioned my landing.

Smoke arose in quantities from the crater as I landed a few meters away, the shock of falling from the castle being silenced by my technique.

Hmm, by force of will you managed to shut off your emotions to escape my brainwashing and now you're acting based on your instincts.. which genuinely tell you to protect the princesses. Utterly foolish.. so foolish that it actually proved me wrong. You really are the biggest fool i've ever met, brat.

I continued to gaze into the smoking crater in high alert. I knew full well that that was not enough to defeat him, but while he was down I could brainstorm a way to put him down for good.

Should I use flare blitz..? No, that is too exhausting and wont do the job. Should I chip away at his defenses with numerous consecutive attacks? No, that would make evasion from any possible counter attacks very difficult. Should I lure him away from the castle? No, his main goal is the princesses, so he'll catch on quick if he was being lured away.. 

I nodded in acknowledgement as I realized that I could not conceive a competent plan to combat my foe. Since that was the case, I was going to have to simply fight and look for opportunities or weaknesses.

I took to my desert tiger stance as I continued to intently ogle the smoking crater. Soon, I witnessed as two piercing yellow orbs rose up and began to shine brightly through the smoke.

The ground once again began to shake as Tirek proceeded to stomp out of the blackened crater, his expression being one of profound rage as his gleaming eyes locked onto me.

"IM GOING TO PULVERIZE YOU!!" he roared as he began to charge his vermillion colored attack.

(Ya know the drill)


I began to run towards Canterlot as he charged his attack. However, he kept his established aim locked onto me while I ran around in an effort to make him miss. Then, with a powerful step, Tirek unleashed his attack in my direction.

I jetted flames out of my palms to swiftly evade it, but to my surprise the beam detonated into a massive explosion that violently flung me towards a tree. I shifted myself in midair to blast fire towards the tree, my efforts allowing me to kick through the charred lumber as to not smash into it.

My body then hit the ground with a loud thud, air being beaten out of my lungs. While I tried desperately to breathe, that was when I was fully certain.. that Tirek was by far the strongest opponent I have ever faced.. that his power was simply too incredible.

I struggled to get up as I witnessed the huge crater that his colossal explosion produced. This was going to be my final day in the realm of the living.. but I wasn't going down without a fight.

I burst into a flurry of rapid steps towards Tirek who stared intently in my direction. He began to charge another attack but was interrupted by surprise as I punched forward and unleashed a fireball in his direction.

He put up some sort of vermillion shield up against my attack. The fireball splashed onto his shield which must have also blocked his line of sight. I took this opportunity to run towards him as quickly as I could, my fist rushing to be engulfed in a flare blitz.

As the shield dissipated I saw that Tirek was already charging his fatal beam attack. My eyes widened, the proximity between us making it impossible to dodge.

I gushed flames out with my left hand to jet myself towards him faster and with gritted teeth, I punched forward into his hardened belly and detonated my attack. The explosive force threw my opponents aim off, the beam landing several meters from me.

Another colossal explosion ensued and the force flailed me dozens of yards towards the castle as my flare blitz expanded into a ball of heat, Tireks towering body being engulfed.

I smashed into the the palace, a crunching sound emanating from my left wrist which took the brunt of the impact.

"Aagh!!" I gasped as I cupped my wrist into my right hand, agonizing amounts of pain gushing from the shattered area. I breathed rapidly as sweat poured down my body. 

I then grunted and stood to my two feet while letting my pained left hand slump to my side. The battle was not over yet.. I had to ignore it to the best of my abilities.

I then glanced at the ball of heat which was already dissipating, my foe being revealed from the heated grips of my attack. There was not a single scratch or ounce of pain visible on him except for a trickle of white smoke which arose from his body.

He laughed loudly as he dusted his shoulders.

"Is that it?" he taunted while charging yet another monstrous beam.

I forcibly summoned unrestricted amounts of fire onto my right hand, then screamed with effort as I jetted flames for an imminent burst of speed. Thanks to this, I managed to draw the beam away from the castle as well as evade most of its explosive force. 

However, the remaining force threw my sense of balance off and I was back to flailing on the ground again, sharp pain coming in quantities from not only my wrist, but now the rest of my body as well. 

From the ground, I gazed over at Tirek who was zooming towards me at alarming speeds. My body quickly jolted in surprise and the forced reflex managed to maneuver my body out of Tireks way.

He punched down at the ground where I used to be, the absurd power of his physical attack completely decimating the hard area as I struggled to jump back and gain some distance.

I then involuntarily took to one knee while panting profusely.

Tirek was already mad dashing in my direction, the intimidating sight forcing me to persevere onto my two feet despite the pain. My foe leaped high into the air and swooped down with the assistance of gravity.

I jumped out of the way and landed clumsily on my right shoulder, Tireks incoming mass smashing deeply into the hard rock, a whiplash of compressed air from his attack smashing into me.

"Gah!!" I screamed as my body rattled and my eardrums ached with tremendous pain. Blood escaped my left ear and both my nostrils, my wobbling legs struggling hard to lift my disoriented body.

Luckily, via crazed effort I succeeded in standing and unleashing a wave of flames towards Tirek's eyes, all in one motion. The high temperature flames smashed into his open eye sockets.

He yelled angrily in pain as he cupped both his smoking sockets into his palms, grunting and swinging at the air in mild distress. My eyes widened as the opportunity presented itself to me. With the pinnacle of my flaming might, I unleashed a furious flurry of fire combos towards my blinded opponent. 

"WRAAAAH!!" I yelled as I punched and kicked and kicked and punched, over and over and over as fast as I could. Every single one of my attacks unleashing raging fire onto the ball of black smoke which was Tirek. 

Then, with a sturdy fist, I prolonged a single stream of fire towards my opponent, my eyes clentching shut in a pained battle of fatigue against willpower. The stream only intensified as I surged all my being into this one heated attack.

Soon, my right arm limped to my side, my body also immediately slumping over. I gasped for air, my entire body feeling numb with exhaustion. I gazed at the black pillar of smoke before me, a crimson, yet severely burnt arm extending from it. With a simple swatting motion, Tirek dispersed the smoke with a gust of wind, his fists soon clentching tightly.

"GRRRAAAAAAAAARHHH!!!" he roared as he began to envelope his singed arm in a mysterious vermillion aura. My mouth slightly opened, my eyes also widening a great length whilst his wound healed almost instantaneously.

Once he administered the same treatment to his blackened eyes, he grabbed me with his magical essense. Then with completely absurd force, he hurled me towards the castle once again.

I frantically attempted to jet fire in the direction in which I was flying with a hundred and twenty percent of effort to cushion my landing, Despite my hard attempt, my body still smashed through several pillars, cuts and gashes making themselves at home all over my anotomy.

(Pause music)

My left elbow was bent a weird direction and blood surged down my body in large quantities, my body taking a rest on a pile of rubble. The remaining pillars also seemed to rattle with the volume of my voice as I shrieked in agony.

The tremendous pain originating from nothing short of my entire anotomy itself, my chest heaving up and down rapidly.

My eyesight blurred and my eyes became extremely heavy, my wits currently being in a crazed battle against mind shattering pain. Cramps also began to riddle my body which only added to the extremely arduous ordeal. 

Without a doubt, I was in the highest agony of my life.

Hmm that really hurts. Hehe, yes. This was the pain that you deserved, now I can finally be freed of you in good conscious.

With those words, my mind once again allowed for my flow of emotions to run as they please, a strong distress being the first one to grip my mind.

Amidst a pain that was simply maddening was my fear of death, yet this fear did not consume me as it did before. I managed to glare defiantly at Tirek who was now standing before me, a vermillion power surging from in between his horns.

"Any last words, creature!?" he pressured, an aura of dominance being vibrantly emitted from his triumphant form over my defeated and broken self.

I released a deep breath and pushed my fear aside even if momentarily, a mocking smile then slightly spreading across my face.

"Is that all..?" I hoarsely choked. 

Rage was plastered all over Tirek's hideous face as he began to take careful aim at my head, his vermillion aura gleaming venemously over me.

I decided not to close my eyes, but to face death head on. I was tired of fearing and tired of running.. I was also growing weary of this pain, I just wanted to be silenced from it once and for all. 

But.. I atleast hoped that the princesses managed to get away.. and they better appreciate this too. The great Kurama did not give up his life for nothing after all.

I weakly gazed into the blinding vermillion light, the attack now being fully charged and ready to put an end to my suffering. 

"CEASE THIS!!" abruptly interrupted a very familiar thundering voice, however. 

In between me and Tirek swiftly landed Celestia, Luna and Cadence landing at her sides. Their faces raged with burning determination as they glared towards my harbinger of pain.

"Cease this senseless bloodbath, Tirek!" barked the white alicorn.

"Out of my way!" threatened the angered menace. ".. or do you want to be disintegrated along with it?" he venemously suggested.

Celestia, Luna, and Cadence did not even flinch as his threat sunk in, their resolve standing firm. Tirek and Celestia locked gazes and stared at each other intensely, her determination being conveyed to him in full. He frowned as it was made evident that they were not moving, but grinned devilishly after an idea seemed to pop into his head.

"If thats the case, I propose a trade.." he began.

".. in exchange for your magic I will not only spare the creature, but all of you as well." he finished.

"I'm afraid that is no longer possible, Tirek. When we learned of your incoming arrival, we took immediate action in discarding our magic so that it would never fall into your evil grasp." defiantly stated Celestia. 

Tirek's facial muscles hardened at her reply. 

"Discard your magic so that I cannot steal it from you? That was your plan?" he sneered.

The three alicorns stood their ground as Tirek proceeded to laugh in their faces, his bad breath reaching even me who couldn't do much but look on.

"Well no matter. The four of you will atleast be useful in sending my solemn regards to Cerberus!" he hissed while charging a beam of mysterious aura.

".. but do not fret, for all of Equestria will be in my.. capable hands." finished Tirek.

He shot the beam into the air and opened a portal, rocky ruins resembling an altar being clearly visible from the other side. Tirek then levitated us off the ground and roughly banished us into the portal.

Me and the princesses flowed through the space and landed onto the altar, the portal soon closing behind us which left us completely stranded.

I layed there panting quietly, blood and sweat pouring down my body quickly. Pain still making itself largely known upon my beaten self, my left elbow still bent awkwardly.

What is this place.. so full of negative energy.. was this "Tartarus"? More importantly, what were we supposed to do now that we were stranded here in this place?

Just.. what were we supposed to do..? I gritted my teeth as the aftershock of my complete and utter failure rained predominantly over my consciousness. 

"Curses...."
> Resolve of a Flickering Candle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Pain and fustration. 

That is what my entire mental experience could have been summed up to for the past hour. I was simply fustrated and in an immense pain.. yet somehow the pain was less important.

I was much more mortified by the fact that I couldn't do a single thing against him. He.. was toying with me. I was not even enough to encourage him to use his full power, I could feel it.

Sure, I gave him a nasty injury, but what was the point? He completely healed it into nonexistence in mere seconds.. an injury that took my entire reserve of energy to inflict. Gone, just like that.

I weakly glanced over at the princesses, each of them being tightly restricted by chains.. all of them sulking immensely into the ground. 

I.. I have failed them..

Indeed brat. All of the disadvantages in the world stem from a genuine lack of much needed ability.

....!

You are weak, so you lost. Its quite simple when you ponder about it. Your incompetent techniques were not enough to faze Tirek and because of this, you're now stuck in a realm of negativity that is literally fueled by the energy of your failure. I believe the term you would use in this situation is "priceless"!

Urrg! And just what did you expect me to do against that monster!? He.. his power was incredible! Just.. how in the name of sozin was I supposed to combat that thing, huh Disem!?

Is that how you weaklings see it? From my perspective, Tireks power was only great. Not "monstrous" or "incredible". In truth, theres only a handful of beings I can think of with "monstrous" or "incredible" power, and Tirek is definitely not one of them.

W-...what!?

Are you deaf? I said that Tirek's strength pales in comparison to some beings I have encountered in the past. For example, the Aurora Drake by the name of Raa'zac, she devours atleast three volcanoes a day despite her height of five feet, seven inches. Or the pathogen wielder Mythos, who drove the astral tigers to extinction for devouring his daughter. Or even Ahuizotl, my past contractor who momentarily seized a quarter of Tartarus under his control before escaping, he now suffers from a foolish infatuation with some lowly pony. The list still goes on, brat.

I could not believe what he was telling me.. there were other beings out there that could pummel Tirek just as badly as he pummeled me? Th-.. thats impossible!

What is the matter? Do you find it hard to wrap your puny little head around it? That here in the world of Equus, you are completely outmatched? "Firebending" or whatever you call it is the equivalent of wielding a feather to the true top contenders of the world. You brat, are so mind numbingly weak that it makes me shudder in anguish.

".......!"

It was at that moment.. that I realized how weak and insignificant I truly was. Disem's verbal torment always had a supporting pillar of truth to it.. and it is only now that I realize just how right he was when he called me a "fool" or a "brat" or "weak".

It was not his attempt to insult me.. no, he was way above simply insulting anyone, that'd be immature for a being like him.

He said it because it was simply fact, I was all sorts of irritatingly weak in a world like this, a world that demanded strength. I was also foolish.. ignorant to the real vastness to its terrifying reaches. And I was a brat for seeing only what I wanted to see.. for retaining the mindset that my abilities were actually anything to gawk at here in Equus..

A sense of true embarrassment showered upon my mind and soon, it was replaced by the realization that the ability to protect was.. well, an ability. And that I lacked that ability simply because I had no power for which to support it. 

I was.. incapable..

"......"

This fustrated me even further. It was enraging to experience this truth! To realize that I can't protect what I believe in because I was simply too weak.. too frail!

It sucked.. this immense pain. My body was broken like a twig out there, I could barely even move a muscle now.. curses!

Was this the true extent of what I could do? Did my twenty long years of arduos training really only sum up to this? I.. I couldn't catch the eye of the royal family even with the flare blitz.. a move that i've never seen anyone else but me and the old man use.. and my only highlight.

But why, why, why!?

All that effort I put into the development of my strength..! Yet I was barely ever a match for prince Zuko much less his damn psychopathic sister!

I just dont get it! Did they ever go sleepless nights practicing flame manipulation? Were they ever rushed to the hospital because they passed out from a severe drainage of stamina? Did they ever throw themselves into a cave full of venemous scorpion dogs to practice life or death scenarios? And.. gulp.. were they ever viciously murdered despite all this hard work and effort!?

Grr, those spoiled brats.. curse them!!

....

...no .. curse me. 

This profound hatred was not directed towards them.. I had to quit lying to myself. In truth, it was directed towards the weakling who couldn't surpass his own incompetence.. the weakling that even when others needed him most, failed miserably. Yes.. I myself was meant to take the full brunt of this hatred.

My eyes developed an irritating itch as I stared up into the rocky ceilings of Tartarus.

"A-.. all the disadvantages in the world stem from the severe lack of much needed.. ability, huh?" I weakly muttered, my statement spurring the attention of the princesses.

"I.. was weak so I failed you.. princesses, i'm so.." I paused to cough before continuing, ".. so sorry,"

The princesses gazed at me, their large eyes full of pity.

"Kurama.. we do not blam-," began Celestia but was interrupted by the look of genuine anger that found itself onto my face.

"Don't.. pity me," I weakly hissed.

".. and don't say anything. Just let me talk.. please," I finished, greatly softening my tone to a plea at the end of my statement.

The princesses silently cooperated, as if I was on my death bed and relaying to them my final words.

"First let's get something.. straight.." I began. " I do not regret standing up to you Celestia.. atleast not anymore.." this perked her attention as I continued.

".. what I regret is that I.. could not be of any use to you... that I was incompetent and couldn't protect you, Luna, and Cadence," I finished. Celestia was now listening intently, the other princesses also paying close attention.

"I will admit though.. my villainous act was inexcusable. But.. I had no choice.. you knew that this would happen.. that I was too weak. Yet, like a fool.. I even threatened you.. and then proceeded to fail miserably as you had foreseen," I coughed out. 

To this, Celestia widened her eyes and opened her mouth to speak.. to lie and tell me that this was not the case.

"Dont." I interrupted before she could speak. ".. for my sake do not deny it," I finished. 

This made it so that she slowly closed her mouth and looked on.. her expression being that of concern for the man who once threatened her life.

"These three days in Equestria were.. weird to me.." I weakly stated, the princesses looking on intently.

"The weird creatures.. the strange culture.. Twilight and her annoying friends.. the dazzling palace.. the snot-nosed nobles.. the weird princesses.." I paused to turn my head towards Celestia, Luna, and Cadence.

".. but what has been the weirdest to me in this place.. are my own feelings," I weakly admitted.

To this, the three princesses took to mild expressions of perplexion as I began to open my trembling mouth once again.

".. I enjoy it all.. Ponyville.. Canterlot.. its citizens.. the strange joy that spreads all throughout this kingdom.. I both envy it and find it refreshing. So much that I even shunned and disregarded the majority of my life and decided to stay here.. because I gave up on the past and began to focus on the present.. I might regret this, I know.." I heartily explained despite my condition.

".. over at my home.. I pretended to live life happily.. no.. I was convinced I was living life happily.. training and helping my father on the field.. or eating my mothers delicious home cooking. But when I look back at it now, what I see is an empty young man who did not care much for the world.. who had no special feelings for his parents.. his friends.. even his government. All for the simple fact that the young man never knew what a real community felt like," I paused, letting a smile cross my face.

".. But this short time in Equestria has been both the worst and best time of my life.. this place is so pure and ridiculous. Its citizens can genuinely coexist without ulterior motive or greed or hatred and envy.. sure it does happen.. but these ugly feelings are not the pillars that support their society. The pillars are an actual sense of comradeship and the simple joy of all things life has to offer.." I took a moment to gaze at the princesses who were absorbed into my words.

"..to be honest I find this a little cringe worthy. Yes.. too sappy and chummy, but as time flew on.. the empty young man was quickly filled with a very very annoying urge.. he did not fully understand why he felt this way.. but he knew that this community was fragile and because of this, he felt that he shouldn't just watch if it was ever threatened," I said as I weakly rolled over to my side.

I then planted my right hand on the ground and attempted to lift myself off of it, tremors of incredible pain shooting into my beaten physique.

"Aagh!!" I painfully gasped as I supplied effort to my agonizing attempt to get off the ground and soon, I had succeeded in resting on one knee.

The princesses watched on in worry as I then attempted to get up on two feet, my eyes clentching tightly due to the immense pain. However, I once again succeeded and I found my panting self on two wobbly legs.

"But.. when that man decided to act on his new beliefs, he failed because he was too simply too weak," I stated between weak breaths. 

I then began to limp towards the princesses, my eyes becoming heavy as pain shook my form.

"Kurama!" yelled Luna in concern.

"Im fine.." I hoarsedly assured her as I continued my pained, wobbly stride. After a few moments I found my sweating self before Celestia whose eyes were wide with concern and confusion.

I stared deeply into her eyes as a profound sense of empathy found its way into my mind. 

"Celestia.. your kingdom is absurd.. to live this happily in a world this dangerous... its completely unthinkable. Sooner or later this won't be able to go on anymore.. c'mon, just how many times has some villain or whatever almost ended this peaceful environment?" I asked, the white alicorn before me sulking in response.. as I thought, this must've indeed been quite the heavy concern on her mind.

I then let a smile reign dominantly over my bloodied cheeks.

"But.. i've grown fond of this place, so this won't be an issue for long.." I began, this beckoning Celestia to perk her head up and gaze at me in bewilderment.

She watched as I bit my thumb and allowed blood to seep out of it. Then to her complete surprise, I rubbed a straight bloodied line through my marked chest, my smile persisting.

".. for I, Kurama Li Feng, vow to get so earth-shattering strong that no intelligent evil would dare target Equestria for as long as I live in it." I vowed, her eyes immediately widening at my oath, Luna and Cadence reacting in similar fashions. 

"Kurama.." muttered Celestia in surprise as she studied every ounce of determination on my face. I hardened my expression and stared into her eyes.. my conviction seeming to be fully carried across if her now perked up ears and dumb founded expression was any way to judge.

"All I ask of you Celestia.. is that you sit tight and watch the candle flicker.. and not just you, but Cadence, Luna, and even Twilight.. because that small candle fire will one day expand into a mighty forest fire.. I swear it. This is the place that took me in when I had nowhere else to go.. please allow me to be its sword," I finished, my wobbly legs finally giving out on me.

I slowly collapsed next to the princesses.. my hearing and sight quickly beginning to go numb.

I sure talked big.. but easier said than done. As to how I was gonna live up to this, I did not have the slightest idea. But I refuse to remain this way.

For now however, I needed.. rest.. yes, I needed just a little bit of shut-eye.. that would do me good.

I stared up at the princesses who surrounded me.. their expressions full of concern as I drifted off into a deep void, my ears deaf as to what it was they were saying to me so frantically. 

My eyes too, began to blur their image and my consciousness began to slip away. With a small scowl, I closed my eyes and began to tread into a deep darkness.

"......."

Idiotic brat..
> Sunny Establishments
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Just when was it?

When was it that he began to dedicate himself to becoming strong? Why was it that he chose to do this? For what reason did he desire strength? 

When I look back, it seems like he has always wanted this..

But when I look even further, I see things that confuse me.. I see a weeping mother who wanted to live comfortably. Yes.. and I also see a son who wanted to grant her wishes, always disregarding his own well being for that sake.

But to do this, the boy discarded his sense of individuality as a human being..? Hmm yes, It seems so.

It looks like that little boy became a marionette that mimicked human behavior, the sort that acted on the simple dismissive wave of a hand. He chose to become this because it seems that the boy could only find any sort of maternal love through this method.. so that he could join the army, climb the ranks, and give his beloved puppet master the life she desired. All because he felt strongly that this was the way the world worked for everybody.

And his father? Well, sometimes it seemed like he loved his agricultural establishment much more than he did any fellow human. 

Because of this, the boy never had to worry about his dangerous antics under the pretext of "training" to ever be stopped. He believed that the more dangerous the test, the more fruitful the results. But he was just a child, thus, his "training" constantly failed. Yet every time it did, he would find a new, much more dangerous way to get stronger, but fail again.

All the while, the boy convinced himself that this was all his will.. that he did this of his own accord.

The constant fear that he felt before he underwent a new, potentially painful ordeal. The effort he put into enduring whatever he threw his own way. And the fustration, oh the fustration he felt when he failed.. by now he had surely counted every single leaf from the big tree outside his hospital bedroom, no doubt. 

Yet the boys naïve little mind continued to latch onto the belief that this was his own desire. That what he did was what he had to do, since mothers were a thing to be treasured afterall. 

However, slowly but surely, a feeling of hopelessness began to swell deep in the boys gullible little heart.

Naturally, this left a scar in said heart of the boy. This scar grew and grew, devoid of any parental treatment until that fateful day on his sixteenth birthday, when the boy decided that his next training regiment would be against the lovely cliff near the windmill of the farm.

He gathered his nerves and emptied all his tears, but before he could begin.. a gentle palm to his shoulder stopped him.

The boy weakly turned to face a frail looking old man, his smile releasing a warmth that the boy had never felt from anyone, not his father, not his mother, nor his teachers. So new to the boy was this warmth, that his first instinct was to reject this intruding aura.

And with the empty and desolate eyes he had, the boy weakly glared at the old man who roughly pinched his cheeks.

"Hmm, those eyes.." began the old geezer.

"For someone as young as you to possess them.. such must be the sorrows of the world," he cooed while patting the boys hair.

The boy, enraged beyond his wits, bit into the warm and caring hand which induced a yelp from the elder stranger. Thanks to this, passionate fire was then lit in the old mans speech.

"Gah! You little devil!" he scolded as he grabbed the boys hand. Despite a fierce struggle, the boy could not resist as the old man dragged him away with unnatural strength. 

"Little brats like you can't complain if I make them my punching bag for the day, eh?" he warned while directing the defiant boy a wide, devilish grin.

"Curse you old man! Let go of me, now!!" warned the boy in response. He did not understand why the old man went to such extents to further involve himself with him. Naturally, this could only spike a strange sense of angered uncertainty in his youthful brain.

"Curse? Oh, such spunk! Hehehe, why you're the splitting image of myself when I was younger! And unfortunately for you, that makes me want to beat you senseless!" heartily replied the man.

"Just don't die on me before i'm through with ya!" he then joked... 

..his smug and caring voice echoing sharply through my head. 

Slowly I shifted positions and motioned my hand onto my eyes as to block out the light. That darn light, always interfering with my lovely slumber. Come on, can't a guy get some proper shut-eye around here?

For a lower class residence, the windows in my room were much too spacey for my liking. Not to mention that I chose to position the bed in the very middle of the room, for whatever reason. 

Also, what was that beeping noise? Did Pa build yet another failure of a music box? For Sozin's sake, just how many times was he intending to enter that darn competition? That pumpkin wasn't even that impressive!

Struck with a tinge of mild irritation, I slowly lifted my eyes open, a blinding flash being the first thing to greet my gaze. I groaned and began to rub my eyes before proceeding to  study my surroundings. 

"A.. hospital bed?" I silently muttered, a strong sense of bitter nostalgia ramming into me.

I looked around the magnificent light purple that painted the walls, as well as the many posters and ornaments around the room. Then I took a glance at my bed, its design being very fancy. Lastly, I noticed that my body was comfortably snugged under a blanket and that I was hooked up to some beeping contraption.

But where was this place and why was I here?

"....."

I jerked up violently as it all suddenly came back to me, the princesses, Tirek, Discord, the battle, my oath.. all of it. A mild pain originated from my body due to my quick motion, also beckoning me to gaze downwards to my heavily bandaged body.

It seems I was nursed back to health.. but what happened while I was out?? Where are the princesses!? Wheres Tirek and whats become of Equestria!?

A loud gasp soon echoed across the room as I quickly inspected the large contraption so that I could find a way to release myself from it.

I turned towards the door to see a white female pony, a cap with a red plus on her head, her well groomed wings widely stretching out in what seemed to be surprise.. I guess? But before I could begin to ask her questions about the current status of things, she ran off furiously.

"Princess! ...Princess!" she called as she ran further and further down the hall.

I scratched my cheek as I looked on in confusion. She looked like she saw a ghost.. was my bed hair really that horrific?

No brat. You have been comatose for a week, but sadly it seems like your body no longer needs to remain in such a state.

"What!?" I burst out without a second thought.

A week!? A whole week, Disem!?

I will not repeat myself to you and do not call me that. I am the Flame of Life, nothing more, nothing less. 

What happened to Tirek!? What about the princesses!? And how did we escape Tartarus? 

Cease your annoying bombardment. I too, was forced into a comatose state along with your puny consciousness. However, judging by the fact that I can still sense the life force of every single Equestrian citizen, it is highly likely that Tirek was defeated.

The strain on my consciousness relaxed only slightly as atleast that was made clear. If I can count on Disem as a credible source, then I could be certain that everything didn't turn out too bad.. but just who in the blazes could have defeated a monster like Tirek?

And what did Disem mean by "sense every life force in equestria"? Did he always have that ability? just how were we connected? 

Aagh, It seemed like I had twice the amount of questions on my mind now.. and I could only hope that Disem was in the mood to answer a few.

Im glad everyones safe but uuh.. you really do experience everything I do, huh?

Fool, it is so obvious that even an infant could easily figure it out. You and I are bound on all physical aspects. Fatigue, pain, hunger, stress, even fear to its physical extent. We share it all.

Hmm.. I see. But wait, wouldn't that mean that if I die, you'd die too?

Naturally.

Woah.. this contract seemed very troublesome on Disem's side of it. He was not only forced to experience the bad times, but had to die alongside his contractor as well. Furthermore, doesn't that make it so that none of his past contractors could possibly be alive right now?

He mentioned something about an ahuazotel or something, and from the sounds of it, that thing is still roaming free somewhere. Gaah this was all so confusing!

I'll try being a bit more direct with him.

Can I ask you a question?

It seems that you are ignoring the fact that I can clearly read your train of thought, even when you aren't directly speaking to me. How idiotic.

Ehehe.. i had my suspicions that you could. But nevermind that.. dont mind me asking, but what exactly is your purpose? Why do you bind yourself to others in order to give them power?

Watch what you ask of me, brat. That prying attitude is the only idiotic tendency of yours that I will not humor.

..Alright, sorry. But wait, you humor me?

Even a being like me is susceptible to boredom.

Wow, ya know what? I think you and I are starting to bond a little.

It is your imagination, now leave me be weakling.

This very well deserved my pout and shrug. Disem had another thing coming if he thought I was going to leave it a that. I'm pretty sure that he has read every single one of my memories even down to the more embarrassing ones. It's simply not fair that he is allowed to know everything about me while I can't know a single thing about him. 

But then again.. I wasn't forced to feel his pain every time he lost a fight now, was I? Plus im pretty sure that he can hear this entire train of thought.. it is beyond awkward to realize that I could not hide a single thing from him. Not even this realization.

Atleast he doesn't call me out on every little thing. Yea, he's probably too mature to do something like that, right Disem?

"......"

Yeah, I didn't really expect an answer.

Well, whatever. I feel like I shouldn't let this impede my usual way of thinking.

Im actually more shocked that he still isn't my friend even though he is technically much closer to me than my own body. Well, when you look at it from a different perspective, atleast.

There is still alot that I am ignorant about.. and its not only about Disem, but all of Equus as well. So while I'm all bandaged like this, I think that I'll let my first Equestrian training regiment be against Twilight and some books.

"Kurama?" called a smooth and familiar voice.

A smile of surprise found itself upon my face once I turned my neck and identified the white alicorn that stood at the door. Her presence was a complete giveaway to my location, which must have undoubtedly been somewhere inside the palace. With that, another of my questions had been answered.

However, I did not expect that my first visitor would be the princess of the sun herself. It actually makes me a tiny bit uneasy.

"I'm glad you and the others are ok, Celestia," I said, which summoned a look of amusement to her muzzle.

"It is rare to be referred to without formalities by my subjects. Either you are quite daring or you have slept well this past week," she replied while trotting over to me.

"Probably both. I'm feeling a little bold now that I'm finally up and kicking, but I can stop if it bothers you," I responded.

To this, Celestia smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"If it bothers me, you say? I was not under the impression that you of all creatures would stop to consider whether your actions would bother me or not," she idly countered.

Upon hearing this, I chuckled nervously and averted my gaze. It almost slipped my mind how I threatened her and made her my prisoner for a few fateful moments.. 

"W-well.. you know, I'm a good guy when I really try to be, hehe.." I hesitantly replied.

"Oh? So all it takes is a small slip of effort for you to unleash your true colors?" she deliberately pressured.

I felt a drop of sweat trickle down my cheek as even more uncertainty clouded my mind. I scratched the back of my neck and raised an eyebrow. Just what was she up to, poking at me like this?

"Hehe.. I don't think my true colors are anything flashy enough to be worth hiding," I stated almost timidly.

Celestia's smile only grew as she watched me shift around, which probably detailed my increasing uncomfort. She couldn't possibly have been enjoying this could she?

"I only jest with you, Kurama," she kindly assured before taking a seat besides me. I gave her a troubled look, wondering if a princess should really sit on the ground like that. 

"Hmm, how are your injuries so far?" she then asked. 

"They are behaving, I guess," I answered while rubbing a finger on the hard cast over my left wrist.

"I see. Are you curious about what has transpired this past week?" She questioned further.

In response to her thoughtful concerns, I shook my head, which earned me a look of genuine surprise from the princess.

"I'm already aware that we dodged disaster this time around. In truth, my only question is who in the blazes could have defeated a power house like Tirek," I chattered.

I then witnessed as a very pleasant smile spread over Celestia's elegant muzzle. It was the most genuine smile I had ever seen on her snout.

"The heroes that defeated Tirek are none other than Twilight and her friends utilizing the Elements of Harmony," she proudly revealed to me.  

I was relieved that I didn't have a beverage to spit all over Celestia's face upon hearing these jaw dropping news.

So she was trying to tell me that the ones who defeated that monster was Twilight and her bunch of hyperactive friends? ..What??

Just... what??

How in the name of freaking Sozin did those bunch manage to pull that off?? With the "Elements of Harmony"? What the blazes were the Elements of Harmony, first of all? And how would they defeat Tirek??

"I can tell by that aghast expression that you Kurama, are absolutely oblivious to the powers of friendship," softly chuckled Celestia.

Friendship..? .. what??

How was a simple matter of social interaction going to defeat a walking cyclone of disaster? 

Just.. what??

I directed Celestia a skeptical look which she received kindly if her plain smile was a reason to think so. Things only seemed to be getting even more bizarre by the second. I had so many questions at this point, it wasn't even funny.

"What??" I asked while rubbing my head to aleviate the small headache I was starting to receive.

"Well, I wager that in due time you will learn for yourself just how powerful the magic of friendship truly is," idly responded the white alicorn. 

Since I wasn't the idiot that she was probably implying I was, I managed to somehow comprehend that the message she was trying to convey was the importance of friendship.

I don't know how, but it seemed that Twilight and her gang prevailed thanks to their close bonds.. or something like that. Either way, the truth of the matter is that they won.. and I lost.

.. wow.

This is one of those realizations that cut really deep into you. I'm sure that those bunch were not even close to being refined warriors, yet they took down Tirek.. now, I wasn't going to start self-loathing again, I've had enough of that, but I really need to get it together. I can't let a bunch of ponies show me up.

No offense to them though. They... they're alright.

"If you say so," was my answer to the white alicorn after the small delay. 

A few moments of pleasant silence ensued before I decided to bring up another matter. A matter that I was never able to get used to no matter how hard I tried.

"By the way.. I don't mean to jump in way over my head, but is it alright if you just.. ehmm, you know.. didn't regard me as a subject, perhaps?" I hesitated to ask.

To this, Celestia slightly jerked in surprise and shot me a quizzical look. I tried to nervously grin in response, but it did not serve to actually change much.

"That is quite the odd request which you ask of me, Kurama. How do you prefer I treat you if not the way I would all my dear subjects?" questioned the confused princess besides me.

"Well, how about an iron-hoofed general to her mindless soldier?" I half-jokingly suggested.

"Im afraid that would be too rigorous the ordeal for us both," she jokingly dismissed.

"Well, I don't see any other way that wouldn't seem like I was trying to get special treatment. Plus, Im probably not in a position to have a mutual friendship with you either.. im just a freeloader, afterall," I hesitantly admitted.

"A freeloader that has come terribly close to flat-lining several times this past week," corrected Celestia. I did not get the joke, but I'm guessing it had to do with the severe beating I took from Tirek.

I forced my laughter at that one. I don't know if she noticed how touchy I was on the matter.. no, actually im sure she knew exactly how I felt about it. 

Maybe she was still a little angry about the whole villainous scheme..

"Geez, I didn't know a sun goddess could hold a grudge. I guess even you aren't perfect, huh?" I sighed. Celestia then directed me a slight smile as my statement sunk in.

"Unfortunately, that is a common misconception among my subjects.. but then again you refuse to be regarded as a subject, so maybe that is why it did not apply to you?" she teased.

Boy was she in a good mood today or what? She was totally treating me like one of her beloved ponies, wasn't she? And not only that but she was doing it intentionally too.

I deadpanned at her, which was apparently humorous enough to make her giggle into her elegant hoof.

"Atleast unlike any regular subject, you catch on quickly to a little teasing," she finished. She may as well have just admitted to all her crimes right there and then.

"Truth be told, Kurama. I may be the long time ruler of this kingdom, but I actually hold no restrictions when it comes to my friendships. In fact, I would eagerly jump at the chance to befriend every single one of my subjects if they simply consented to it. But alas, not many possess the backbone to trot up to a princess and strike up a simple conversation," regrettably admitted Celestia.

Once again, it struck me by surprise how differently Celestia ruled compared to the Fire Lord. She was caring and benevolent to her subjects, her authority was practically spiked with love. The Fire Lord however, rules with an iron fist that tolerates zero compromise to his desires. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure which I preferred. 

"I see.." I began. I'm sure this would probably get me quite a bit of sass from her more "dedicated" subjects, but I guess ill give it a try. I'd rather be her friend than her subject, im just not good with motherly figures.

".. it'd be nice if we could be friends, then. Well.. if a hot blooded idiot like me is still up your ally," I kindly suggested.

To this, Celestias expression was lit with pleasant joy. So far, this seemed to have been the correct desicion.. for now. I mean.. just think about the reactions from Diamond Plate and the other nobles when they find out.

"To me, a 'hot blooded idiot' makes for a much more interesting friend, Kurama," she teased.

"Glad to hear it," I muttered in unamusement while extending both my arms out for the white alicorn. She seemed to have been impressed by my bravery before inching closer to me. Then, with a single motion, we warmly embraced.

Her spotless fur and delicate body heat was comfortably snugged against my bandaged body. Her mystical hair gently brushed against my cheek and the lovely aroma of cotton candy reached my nostrils. My arms wrapped around her winged back with special care, my fingers dancing in the soft sensation of her pure white feathers. 

Her front hooves rested softly on my shoulders which allowed her to embrace me back in her own alicorn way. 

And there we stood for a prolonged moment before delicately releasing each other. But strangely enough.. it was as if her warmth still remained on my body. A new warmth also arose from my chest... maybe this was what it felt like to befriend someone like Celestia. Whatever the case, it was a pleasant feeling. 

"Celestia.. sorry if this seems a little random. But why haven't you ever asked me about my origins and why I came here?" I questioned her.

I watched as she took to a slightly more serious nature and contemplated the question before answering. 

"About that.. I was originally intending to do so. However, Luna suggested that I did not for she had learned that you did not have the best of pasts. She also seemed confused regarding your circumstances, so I figured that it was too complicated for me to ask," she truthfully responded.

For them to show that amount of consideration for me was nice, quite touching even. But I didn't need the consideration, memories are just memories. They are not the actual event, just the proof that it once happened.. I actually had no problem with simply explaining myself a little.

"Actually I would be more than happy to tell you everything that has happened up until now," I claimed. Celestia perked up at my comment, it seemed like this caught her interests.

"Are you certain, Kurama?" She checked while studying my face.

I waved my hand in a dismissive manner and nodded.

"I think it'll be a great change of pace as long as you tell me a bit about yourself as well," I proposed which caught her off guard.

"About.. myself?" she clarified. 

"Yeah, it would only be fair, right?"

Celestia slowly nodded in agreement after a brief moment of thinking.

"Ok, then I'll go first.. I lived in a land called..." I began.





..thats when the contract healed my wounds and Disem fused with me. To be honest, the Hydra's rampage was sort of of my fault. It was enraged because I took Disem before it could, but I'm glad it didn't end up hurting anyone. Anyways, that's about everything you didn't already know about me," I finally finished.

Silence began to fill the room as Celestia solemnly shut her eyes.

"Kurama.. you have told me not to pity you, so I will try my hardest to oblige by that. But, to be slayed by your own family.." she began while reopening her eyes in a lamenting manner.

".. only twice in the last millennium have I ever fathomed such evil. Please, allow me to spare you just a small bit of my sympathy," she requested.

I locked eyes with her for a few moments before exhaling in defeat.

"If you must.." I answered.

I then looked up at the ceiling as silence once again began to ensue. It was a little awkward for me but its not like I was some extremely hardened war veteran or something. It didn't make me any less of a man to let somebody feel a little sorry for me.

Once the gloomy silence had extended long enough, I once again directed my attention to the white alicorn besides me. 

"By the way, is it really alright for the co-ruler of Equestria to be slacking off this long?" I jested. Celestia perked up from her slightly slumped position in realization.

"Ah..! My dear little sister must be drowned in paper work by now! Forgive me Kurama, but I must not dump my responsibilities on her any longer. However, I do promise that we will continue our chat as soon as my duties clear up" she stressed while lifting her hind quarters off the ground.

"Thought so," I whispered to myself in disappointment as my shoulders slumped over. Alot had happened between us, but I was truly growing to enjoy her company.

"In the mean time, do not do anything that would cause trouble for the nurses," she reprobated as if it was going to be self fulfilling prophecy. I could only ogle at her back in irritation as she was already on her way out.

Did she think I was her infant child or something?

Soon, Celestia reached the door but before she stepped out, she halted and slightly turned her head to the side.

"And about Luna.." she brought up.

I frowned and gazed downwards knowing full well where this was going. I was truly an idiot... but a man of an idiot nonetheless. I needed to set things right with her too.

"I know.." I began.

"I'll be waiting for her in my dreams tonight.. and I'll make sure to apologize properly for my rash actions," I lamented.

Celestia nodded in acknowledgement before proceeding to step out of the room. She closed the door behind her and left me to myself, which wasn't too bad. I could always meditate as well as think of a way to apologize to Luna.

Afterwards, I could finally learn about this world and how exactly I was gonna get strong enough to compete with some of its monstrous inhabitants. But if there was a bright side to this, it is that I was feeling a strange motivation towards this new ambition of mine.

It was strange because.. I never thought that motivation could bring such peace to your consciousness. When I think about enduring painful and arduous training, I do not shudder or hesitate like I did before. I was actually eager to do this.. and that seemed to put my heart at an unexpected peace.

Hmm, yes.

Maybe I'll skip the meditation and eat some food, technically I haven't eaten in weeks. Plus, I feel that meditating at this current state of mind would undoubtedly bring "trouble" to the nurses.

"I'd best save it till I am fully healed," I mumbled to myself, a slightly triumphant smirk inevitably occupying my face as I clenched my palm.

"Seperating yin and yang takes physical effort after all,"
> Educational Rehab
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "Thats.. alot of books dont you think?" Was my immediate reaction to Twilight entering the room with about a full carriages worth of textbooks.

"You think so? I actually wanted to bring three times the amount of books.." she started while dumping the numerous varieties of literature onto the floor. I guess manners were not going to be necessary with a princess of Twilight's royal caliber. 

"When I heard that you woke up and wanted me as a tutor, I was just so completely elated!" She excitedly beamed while grabbing my cheeks with both her hooves and pushing my face closer to hers. We maintained close eye contact as she continued to ramble on.

"Rest assured, Kurama! I will do everything in my absolute power to educate you, even if I have to enter your brain and pound the knowledge into you myself!" she finished somewhat venemously, at the same time, she released my face and dashed headfirst into the pile of books.

Four seconds into our first session and I'm already feeling overwhelmed just by her explosive personality alone. I was glad that Twilight didn't hold anything back against me, we were friends in her books. But I wasn't sure if I could survive two hours of this everyday, especially when those two hours apparently required a small boat load of books. 

I shouldn't complain though. These three days after I've woken up have been so boring that my mind was probably better off in the  coma. After I took that fierce scolding from Luna, she was too busy with her duties and citizens dreams to pay me another visit.. and her older sister was equally as busy during the day. 

Spark was a good enough lad to visit me atleast twice, but he couldn't afford to slack off for long. He was a dutiful little fuzz ball and I didn't hold it against him.. I mean, how could I?

Then theres the mighty Flame of Stressing my Life.

Need I say more? 

"Where... AHA!" boomed Twilight, it seemed like she had found the book she was looking for. With her enthusiasm still fully intact, the lavender alicorn levitated the book towards me.

I grasped it in my hands, her purple aura feeling fuzzy.. sort of like static electricity. I took a look at the books title, a daunting smile spreading cluelessly across my face as I saw the literature to be unintelligible. The letters were unfamiliar, strange and confusing to ogle at.

But why? Twilight sent me a letter once that was structured and written exactly like the literature in my world. Plus, by some miracle, we spoke pretty much the same language. So what was the deal with this book?

"Ehmm.. Twilight?" I called, which put a smile to her already more than eager face.

"So you don't recognize magical literature? Yes! To introduce an ignorant individual to the wonderful intricacies of magic will be such a redeeming experience!" she declared much too out of tone. 

"Lets get started right away!" she finished, her lavender after-image seeming way to slow compared to the swiftness in which she sat before me. 

Magic, huh? Suddenly, I was much more delved into the studying session than I thought I would be. I was a proud Firebender, sure, but come on! If I could use magic I would be unstoppable! The carnage and destruction I could spread with Tirek's ability.. just thinking about it makes me shudder with joy!

My name would spread all over Equestria as its lord and savior! Kurama the Magical Firebender, Kurama the Sorcerer of Flames, Kurama the Unstoppable Heat-magic Cyclone!

Idiotic nonsense.

Oh shut up.

Since I knew his remark was coming, it didn't take me much delay to roll my eyes in unamusement. Be it idiotic nonsense or whatever he wants to call it, I was going to become stronger, even if my weapon had to be a mystical diaper for Sozins sake.

Thus, my attention was back to Twilight who was shuffling through pages. I was beginning to get a bit eager myself, but before we begin there's a small issue on my mind..

"So Twilight.. I heard that it was you who defeated Tirek," I casually mentioned.

Twilight's ears perked up and she seemed to get a little flustered. Maybe she was one those humble types that didn't really take much credit for their feats. If it was me, I would even go as far as to directly inject the liquid glory into my bloodstream.. I jest, I jest.

"Oh.. yeah. Well, it was thanks to the help of my friends that I was able to overcome such a tasking ordeal," she responded pridefully. Guess she was just as chummy of a princess as Celestia.

"Oh please, Twilight!" resonated an unfamiliar voice across the room.

Startled, I looked around in search of the origin of said voice. Soon, my eyes located and locked onto a slight movement near the edge of the huge pile of books.

Me and Twilight watched as some sort of green and purple lizard demon popped out of the pile. It had large gleaming eyes as well as razor sharp dentures that portruded out of its mouth. Not to mention the long and visibly sharp claws that all four of its limbs had the pleasure of carrying.

"The battle between you with all the alicorn magic in Equestria and Tirek was out of this world! The landscape was practically soft hay against both of your unrelenting mights! The incredible display of power shown between you two as you went toe to toe was absolutely breath taking!!" It loudly gasped.

"Spike!" Twilight scolded. She gave the creature a glare of disapproval before scolding it further.

"In the end it was all thanks to my friends and the Elements of Harmony that we managed to defeat Tirek."

"Managed? Pfft, once those pesky Elements of Harmony came out it wasn't even a fight!" Countered the scaly creature.

"Thats enough, Spike!" yelled Twilight in response.

"Can't you see that we're trying to read here?" she argued.

"But you guys didn't even start yet. Besides, I want to meet him too!" beamed the creature as it woddled over to us. 

"Ugh, make it quick Spike I only have so much time before the session is over!" ushered Twilight.

"Ok, ok." It responded.

It seemed like she was very close with the creature, so it probably wasn't a threat. If anything though, it certainly did look threatening.. what with those huge bulging eyes.. ugh and don't even get me started on his head scale things.

"The names Spike!" Boomed the creature while smiling smugly, its razor sharp dentures slightly portruding out of his venemous looking mouth.

"H-.. hey there Spike hehe.." I answered.

Spike then proceeded to smile triumphantly as if meeting me was some sort of great achievement. Then just like that, he turned around and woddled right out of the room, apparently taking the agreement between him and Twilight pretty seriously.

Upon the door closing Twilight let out a huff and directed her focus back to our session.

"Im really sorry, that little drake can be such a handful sometimes." She apologized.

"Well he's pretty well behaved for a terrifying mini monster." I laughed, which earned me quite the unamused expression from Twilight. Guess she really liked her pet, huh?

"Erhermm," she cleared. "Now then, let us get back on topic. First, we will begin with the history of Equestria.. hmm no, maybe we should begin at the formation of Equus itself.. but then again it may be wise to take it even further back to the very circumstances that formed our solar system.. hmm," she muttered to herself.

This was the point where I began to doubt Twilights decisive ability. Sigh, yup. I was gonna be in for a loooong ride.




".. Did you get all that?" Asked the oh so energetic and wonderfully boring Twilight Sparkle. The ordeal was a long one, but I finally made it through the two hours of space dust talk.

"Yeah yeah, freakin... solar system, interstellar- whatever. Anyway I've yet to really know anything about this world Twilight." I grumbled.

The purple Alicorn shrugged while levitating her books back into the small carriage. 

"Whats the rush? I think its very important to know the roots of not only Equestria but the world it inhabits." She stated.

"Maybe so, but was the part where you spoke about these small particles called "magoms" really necessary? What did you say again? That they were the most simplest form of matter?"

"Yes, and incredibly important in understanding not just our world.. but the very origins of magic, Kurama." She continued.

"Do you now understand the weight of this knowledge?"

I gave it a bit of thought before answering. It seemed that to the very least, everything she'll teach me will have a purpose, well thats if im not jinxing it.

"Yeah, I think I do." I responded.

Twilight then finished loading her books and directed me a smile.

"Oh I just knew you would understand, haagh I can't wait till our next book session!" She gleed with excitement and impatience. 

Such must have been the perilous troubles of being an egghead.

"Oh! And I forgot to mention, the girls are gonna be paying you a visit tommorow so make sure that... you know.."

"That im mentally prepared?" I finished for her.

She slowly nodded, heart ridden sympathy plastered all over her muzzle. Wow, that was pretty mean of her haha, though l suppose that even she has to admit that disaster is always bound to happen when the five of them join together.

"Yeah, I'll make sure to prepare myself thoroughly for it," I laughed.

Twilight laughed along and after a few more minutes of idle chit chat, she was ready to depart back to her quarters. We gave our goodbyes to each other and with that, the first Equestrian book session came to a merry close.

Now all I had to do was hurry up and get out of these bandages so that I can begin training again. But Sozin knows how long that'll take. And so, I arrived at another question. How to pass the time while no ones here to entertain me?

I'd usually meditate, but theres not really any need to anymore if unless it was to hold on tight to that feeling.. well nevermind. Im not even in the shape to get into my favorite position. 

Welp.. I guess I have only one alternative. When all else fails, take a nap.

I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. Luckily however.. and maybe due to the fatigue, it wasn't long before I was able to fall asleep. 

With body still broken but mind sharply recovering, I drifted off into a newly desired slumber.