> Burning Fury: A Challenger Enters
>  by DreamWings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> My One and Only (Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were plenty of things Burning Axe could say that he loved in this world. He loved his guitar, he loved his family, he loved his career. He loved every pony that came into contact with him, but even more so recently. 
He couldn’t help it. Seeing other ponies, and feeling the love he had for so many of them, only made him realise how much more he loved Nature’s Fury. They’d been dating only a few weeks and he already knew that there was no alternative for her. Her laugh, her eyes, her everything just proved to him time and time again how much above simple love she was for him. He couldn’t even explain in words what it truly was. It was like Celestia was holding his hoof and leading him towards the light. It was like Luna was lulling him into a deep and engrossing dream. If anything it was like Zecora had mixed up a special brew for him that had fixed a hole in his heart he never knew existed. He felt warm and cosy, something it was hard to feel in his home in the Everfree Forest.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash, two local residents of Ponyville, his nearest home town, were his greatest friends. Honestly, beforehand he’d barely even noticed them; they were always far too busy with their work and duties for him to even have a chance to speak to them. But if it weren’t for them, and for Pinkie Pie and Rarity, two other local residents he’d only admired from afar, he would never have had the courage to ask Nature’s Fury on their first date together. That is—he’d had the courage to write it down in a letter and rehearse it over and over again. 
As he walked down the street, guitar case on his back, crushing down his wings so he couldn’t fly, he waved jovially to all of the passers by. He felt almost like he could break into song; although Pinkie Pie seemed to have that covered on the other side of the street. It took all of Burning’s energy not to get his guitar out and join in with her. Okay, not too much energy. He still had to get to his rehearsal with Vinyl Scratch before she gave up and went on without him. 
A familiar voice came to his ears as he neared Sugarcube Corner. Nature’s Fury’s laugh was a haunting sound—it drifted through his mind even as he was fighting off the creatures in the Everfree Forest (yeah, he thought, perhaps he shouldn’t bring Nature home for awhile—at least until he could find a quieter, less eventful spot). 
Should he just pass by and not go in to see her? Surely she’d want some privacy right now? It was best not to be that colt. You know, the over-protective, smothering type. Yes, he’d carry on trotting. He couldn’t be late for Vinyl anyway.
Nature laughed again. This time even more hysterically. A male voice was laughing along with her, gruffly. It sounded familiar. 
Burning stopped and considered the voice. He didn’t know why Nature would be meeting up with another colt. A colt that wasn’t him. No, he was probably worrying about nothing. It was likely Mr. Cake or something—with Mrs. Cake standing on watching and judging them.
He took a step forward, ready to head to Vinyl’s house and the male voice drifted out again.
“Wow, he really did that? Who would do something like that?”
Nature’s Fury answered. “I’m telling you, he did. I think he thought it was impressive or something.”
“How can anypony think that that’s impressive?”
“I don’t know.” They both burst into laughter again.
Burning looked at the houses in the distance. He should just carry on going, leave her alone, but he knew that that wasn’t Mr. Cake. Mr. Cake would never say anything about another pony, even without Mrs. Cake there scrutinising him. He slid his guitar off his back and leaned it against the outside wall of the building. Vinyl could wait.
He lifted his head slowly, putting his hooves nimbly on the window pane, and peeked into the cafe. Nature’s Fury was sat in the corner, at their table, the table where they’d had their very first date together, with Melon Corvick. 
“No, it can’t be,” Burning muttered. He frowned and carried on watching. This was worse than he’d ever believed. He’d long thought that, even before he’d first invited Nature to the barn, she had a thing for Melon. It made it even worse because Melon was such a good friend of his. Why, they’d often worked together on projects. They’d created some good stuff together. Melon knew how Burning felt about Nature.
“I still don’t believe it,” Melon was saying, throwing himself around. “I’ve known him for years and he’s never done anything like that before.”
“Well, he did this time, I swear.” Nature laughed again. This time it really did haunt Burning Axe, but for completely different, less smile-worthy, reasons. 
“Holy Celestia, I’ve got to see this. How’d you get him to do it?” 
“I didn’t have to. I just went where the letter told me to go and there he was. You’d never believe how close I was to laughing.” She laughed again.
Burning’s heart grew cold. Zecora’s brew washed away. Where—where they talking about him? He’d sent her a letter, and she’d met him in the barn. Were they mocking him because of how awkward it had been acted out? He knew he should have rehearsed more.
“It was actually pretty sweet,” Nature said. Burning gave a watery smile. At least she appreciated his efforts.
“Maybe, but I bet you I could do better,” Melon said. 
“No, you can’t,” Burning seethed. “You’d better not or our friendship is over.”
“Yeah, you probably could,” Nature said. Burning frowned again. Did she still have a thing for Melon then? Was Burning just the best she could get when her actual love wasn’t on offer?
“Erm...” 
Burning jumped as somepony tapped on his shoulder, slamming his muzzle on the window pane as he came back down.
“Ow,” he screamed. He covered his mouth and peered into the window again. He didn’t want Nature to know he’d been spying. What kind of thing was that to build a relationship on? Unfortunately, and fortunately at the same time, she was too wrapped up in her talk with Melon to notice him.
Applejack stood above him, a little filly in tow. The little filly was named Aura and Applejack was showing her the ropes as an apple farmer for a school project. She had hoped Apple Bloom would be more interested, but she’d chosen to go and work with Diamond Tiara’s father instead. 
“What ar’ yer’ doin’, sugarcube?” she asked Burning as he picked himself up off the floor. There were streaks of paths were tears had fallen down his muzzle on his face. 
Aura looked on in wonder. “Why are you crying?” she asked.
Burning shrugged and pulled himself up. “I wasn’t. I was just—erm—wondering about something.”
Nature’s laugh came loudly through the open door. 
Applejack pulled a face. “Really? Yer’ worried ‘bout her loyalty already? She loves yer’, y’ know that.”
Burning looked inside at his special somepony. “Maybe, but she likes him more.” He looked at the glisten in her eyes and the smile etched upon her face. “Maybe—Maybe she’d be better off with him. She always wanted to be with him.”
He sighed and Aura patted him on the leg. He looked down at her little innocent face. She didn’t know pain. He’d only just learned it himself. No monster in the forest could make him feel this bad this quickly. Aura hadn’t learned that feeling yet.
“It’s okay, mister,” she said. “Button likes Sweetie more than me, too.”
“What?” Burning asked, startled.
“Don’t ask,” Applejack warned, and she was probably right to do so. “Y’ know who y’ should be talkin’ too though?”
“Yeah, Button,” Aura said.
“Not you, little’un. Burnin’ Axe.” Applejack pulled Aura away from the colt. She was clinging fiercely to his leg, attempting but failing to soothe him with a hug. “Yer’ know who y’ have to ask, don’t yer’?”
“Well, I guess I could ask Demon Angel out instead,” Burning responded flatly. 
Applejack smacked him on his head and he yelled again. “Ow, what was that for?”
“For bein’ a dunder-head, that’s why. Go an’ talk to Nature. Nothin’ might be happenin’, for all y’ know.”
“No, no, I couldn’t do that,” Burning stumbled, rubbing his hoof up and down his leg. “I—I have to go meet Vinyl Scratch now anyway.”
“Really? And what kind of example would that be settin’ for the young-un’s.” Applejack motioned to Aura, who at this moment in time was sitting, pencil in mouth, writing down all of this ‘gold advice’ on her notepad for her school report.
Burning shook himself fiercely. What a low down move from Applejack, bringing a little filly into all of this. She knew he couldn’t refuse now. “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll do it.”
“Good, now go.” Applejack pushed him fiercely and, due to the strength that had earned her many ribbons and trophies in rodeos across Equestria, he ended up flying through the door and falling thud onto the floor. Quite impressive, considering that the door was a few feet away from where he’d been standing.
“Hey, Applejack, do you think Button’d be impressed if I could play guitar?” Aura said. 
Applejack rushed over to Aura and took Burning’s guitar out of her hooves, laying it back in the case that she’d got it from. “I think he’d be less impressed t’ find y’ stealin’.”
“I wasn’t. I was borrowing,” Aura answered, baffled and innocent.

Meanwhile Burning was lying on the floor of Sugarcube Corner, a piece of cake dribbling down his head that had fallen off one of the tables nearby as he’d crashed through the door. He licked his lips, embarrassed. No matter how many times he saw Nature’s Fury he always seemed to fall over in front of her.
“Now that’s what I call falling head over heels,” Melon joked, coming over to offer his friend a hoof. 
“Are you okay, Burning?” Nature asked, still smiling. 
Burning felt a mix of emotions stir up inside of him. Her smile dazed him for a while and he laid there, half-grinning and flying away into his dreams. 
Melon’s hoof stayed in front of him but, when Burning didn’t take it, Melon pulled it back and slid it over the back of his mane. “Woo—I hope I’m in your dreams too, buddy,” he said, beaming.
Nature sniggered and then burst into complete laughter as a piece of cake dribbled into Burning’s nostril and he was left coughing and sneezing, desperately trying to get it out, on the floor. 
Melon managed to hold it together but his beam did grow larger for a fraction of a second. Still, he could see how embarrassed his friend must be so he didn’t do much more than that.
By this time the rest of the cafe were too entranced by what was happening to look away. Not many of them knew Burning Axe, as he spent most of his time either at work or in the Everfree. If anything, the only pony who knew him that well wasn’t even a pony—but a zebra. 
Right now Burning wished Zecora was there by his side. She might have had a brew to fix this mess—to fix this mix of feelings. He couldn’t help hating Melon’s smug face. He didn’t want to hate Melon though. He wanted to be friends with him, but he also wanted to be dating Nature.
“S—so,” he stuttered, finally having got the cake out of his nose, “what’re you guys up to?”
“Just having some cake,” Nature answered, as she and Melon attempted to clean up the rest of Burning’s mane with napkins provided by Mrs. Cake.
“Oh—was it good—erm—cake?” Burning asked. Admittedly Burning wasn’t being very subtle, in his opinion, on asking what he really wanted to know. Which was, of course, do you two love each other as much as I love Nature?
Melon looked at Nature and grinned. She couldn’t even look him in the eye. He always made her laugh when she did. “Oh yeah, it was definitely some good cake.”
Burning grumbled and pushed Melon away from his ear. Not all of the cake was gone but he didn’t care much about that. The rest of the café had gone back to eating their own treats. Weirder things than this happened in Ponyville every day, after all. 
“Hey, Burnin’,” Applejack called, ambling in through the door. She’d seen from outside that it wasn’t going well for him. He just didn’t have the courage to come right out with it. “Y’ left yer’ guitar outside.” 
Aura, coming in behind Applejack, was dragging the aforementioned item. It was heavy and she was only small, but she refused to let anypony help her. She wanted to help the poor colt struggling with, what she thought was the same thing she was going through at school, and would do whatever it took. “Can you play us a song, mister?” she asked, putting it down in front of him.
“Yer’, I don’t think he wants to do that right now, do yer, Burnin’?” Applejack said, winking at him. “Y’ just wanna talk right now, don’t ya?”
“Erm... yes, I want to... I mean I’d like to talk, but if you don’t want to... if you’d rather be alone.” He gestured at Nature but she didn’t answer. 
Instead Melon decided to do it for her. “Well, I think we were just about done, so I suppose I’ll be on my way. Thanks for the—er—cake, Nature.” 
Burning didn’t like the way he’d said the word cake, no matter how innocent it had seemed as a word. He didn’t think he could see cake the same way ever again. He glared at what he now deemed his former-friend.
“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow, Melon. Don’t forget to bring the—er—stuff,” Nature said back. She looked at Burning and Burning looked at her. They both blushed and looked away from each other.
“I sure will,” Melon answered. “See you tomorrow.” He aimed for the door but Aura was quicker than he was. She went up to him demanding that he helped her with her project, that he go to the store with her, that he teach her the ways of life, and about the birds and the bees. 
He looked around him. “Okay, that’s a bird,” he pointed at a bluebird. “And this is me leaving.” He started off down the street, with a glimmer in his eyes and a smile matching his high spirits.
“But what about teaching me about life?” Aura screamed after him, desperate for him to return so she could punish him for stealing Burning’s mare away from him. 
“Well, Aura—ponies leaving, that’s life,” he called back and rushed around the corner. “I’ll see you at Cousin Cobalt’s next week, okay?” 
Aura grumbled and rubbed her hoof sadly over the muddy path. “Fine,” she shouted back, though he was out of hearing distance by this time. Why did she have to be related to the very pony she was trying to hate? Life was just so unfair.

Applejack had let Aura run off without even attempting to follow her. It was lunch-break anyway, and Aura would have been playing at this time had she been at school. She could just count this as her playtime, but she wouldn’t get any more chance after this. They had a busy day’s work ahead. 
“Hey,” she said, sidling up to Nature and Burning, who were both staring at each other in silence, “I don’t suppose either of you two wanna come an’ help on the farm this afternoon? I gotta keep my eye on Aura so I won’ be gettin’ as much done as I want.” 
Ah, so Applejack was using the filly to get what she wanted again, Burning noticed. If only it wasn’t so darned effective. 
“Sure, I’d love to,” Nature said. 
Applejack looked at Burning and he nodded, glumly. “Fine,” he said. Vinyl probably would have left by now anyway. She wasn't known for her patience.

After an hour or two of hard graft on the farm they were both given a chance to have a break. Burning sat far away from Nature. He didn’t want to see her smile or hear her laugh. He didn’t want to get those same familiar feelings he always got when he was with her or he’d only be falling for her trap all over again. By this time he’d firmly decided, after much consideration and thinking whilst at work, that he’d let Melon have her. If it made both of them happy, and he wanted them both to be happy, it was the only thing that could be done—even at the expense of his own happiness. Maybe, in time, they’d all get to be friends again. It might take some time before he got over her, but eventually, yes, he thought they could be friends.
He sneaked into Applejack’s barn for his break. Unbeknownst to him Aura was already in there, sleeping in the haystacks. She hadn’t taken well to the hard work that had to be done in order to be a successful farmer. 
He sat down by the old ladder at the back, muttering to himself. Maybe—maybe he could move back to Trottingham. He was always happy there. Maybe not completely happy, and he didn’t think he could find a job as good as he had now in his home-town, or a home that he loved as much as the Everfree, but at least he would be far away from temptation. At least he wouldn’t ruin anything for the ponies he cared about above all others. 
“Burning? Where are you?” Nature was calling from outside. 
Burning didn’t answer. He didn’t want to see her again. After today, after helping Applejack—and maybe going around to say goodbye to everypony tomorrow—oh, and to Zecora’s for tea the next day, he couldn’t forget that—then he’d leave. He’d go back to Trottingham. Or maybe he’d travel; go and see Canterlot and the princesses, or one of the newly discovered kingdoms that everypony was always raving about. He just couldn’t face Nature at the minute.
“Burning!” She was still calling. Footsteps came closer to the barn and Burning snuggled up into the dark, shadow-y corner. 
The door creaked open and Nature peered inside. “Burning, are you in here?” she asked. 
He hoped she’d just look inside, see that he wasn’t there and leave, but she walked in and stood in the centre gazing around at the hay and wood. Burning, panicking, started to climb up the rungs of the ladder. He felt like she’d notice him much more easily if he’d been flying. He wasn’t exactly a silent flier. He left that to the owls—and Fluttershy.
She came further into the room and started playing with some strands of hay on the floor. She sighed happily, remembering something or another. A tune filled her throat and she began to sing. Burning stopped. He’d never heard her sing. This was new.

“A burning wood on burning ash.
A life fulfilled, a heroes sash.
A love that loves, a nature’s day.
A mare who doesn’t know what to say.
She knows the words inside herself,
But can only say what’s in her words of wealth.
He knows her words, despite her laugh
And together they love, their love’s first sash.” 

She stopped, gazing about the room and rolled gleefully onto the top of the pile of hay. She laughed a cheerful laugh. Burning’s heart beat wildly, conflicted once again. He hadn’t even known she could sing and now he couldn’t unhear it. 
He leaned sidewards on the rung he was stood on, too lost in Luna’s dreamland to notice that his hoof was slipping. His hoof came completely off and he grasped for air, not even managing to open his wings before he slammed completely onto the hay covered stone floor of the barn.
Nature bolted upright and looked over at Burning, his face against the floor, nothing hurt aside from his pride. “Burning? Er—when did you get in here?”
“Er—I was—I mean—I tried to.” He slowly ambled back up onto four hooves, rubbing himself hard, and thanking Celestia that the hay had broken his fall. 
“You didn’t hear any of that, did you?” Nature said, a pink rose rising on her cheeks. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”
“What was?” Burning asked. “The song?”
“So, you did hear it? Darn it. I was really hoping to make it better before you did. It’s only in its rough stages at the minute.”
“But—I thought it was beautiful.” He rubbed a bruise on his front left leg and stared, hopelessly at the grey floor. It swirled around miserably in his eyes and he sighed internally; not wanting to do it out loud in case it upset Nature’s Fury. “I’m sure Melon will love it.” 
“Oh, I know Melon will love it. He’s already heard it,” Nature answered, bluntly. “As a matter of fact, he was supposed to be meeting me tomorrow to help with the accompaniment. Although it’d be much easier to work with him if he’d stop acting so goofy.”  Her laugh echoed around the walls and whistled through the hay. 
Aura lifted her dozy little head and crawled forwards, sleepily. She saw Burning staring at Nature in surprise and then Nature walk towards Burning with a skip in her step.
“Still,” Nature said, “did you like it? I wrote it just for you. Well, with a little help from Pinkie and Rarity.” 
“But—I thought you and Melon were—I thought you liked—well, I thought you liked each other.”
“We do. Melon’s great, and he’s good at projects like this. You know that.” 
Burning stepped closer to Nature as she stepped closer to him. They got so close that their muzzles were almost touching. 
“So, you don’t want me to move back to Trottingham, then?” Burning said.
“Not unless I move there with you. Although give me a little time to process the move if you do decide to do that.” 
Burning couldn’t hold in his joy. His smile grew so wide it almost broke the sides of his face. It grew so large that it could have rivalled Pinkie Pie’s. He burst into song. 

“A burning fury on burning axe.
A life fulfilled, a heroes sash.
A love that loves, a nature’s day.
A colt who doesn’t know what to say.
He knows the words inside himself,
But can only say what’s in his words of wealth.
She knows his words, despite his lack of voice
And together they love, their love’s only choice.” 

“Wow,” Nature said, “that was cheesy. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t do it with all the bells and whistles.”
“Well, I thought it was perfect.” 
He looked deep into her eyes and saw himself, grin and all, reflected back. In his eyes she saw the same for her. 
“Oh, just kiss already,” Aura yelled, startling them both. They saw the little filly, now dancing around excitedly on top of a haystack, and both started laughing, tears running down their cheeks.
“We have a whole life for that,” Burning muttered, as Applejack hailed them all to come back to work, much to Aura’s annoyance.