> Moonlight with a Fiery Passion > by Brony_Falcon > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Through the Fire and Flames > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, here I lay. On the ground. Clutching my right arm in pain. I slowly push off of the ground to sit up, my eyes catching the sight of the one that put me down to begin with. My eyebrows furrow as the figure slowly gets closer. I just growl at him. "That was a cheap shot, dad." He then stops in his tracks and raises an eyebrow. "There are no cheap shots in the field of combat." I just sigh, looking off to the side. "I know..." He then starts walking forward again, offering his claw to me. "Again?" I just smile, accepting his claw and pulling myself up. "Yeah, I can keep going." His expression then turns serious. "Keep your focus this time." He then teleports back to the other end of the room. I simply get into a fighting stance, a determined look clear on my face. "You can do it, Starburst," a voice calls from the sideline, catching my attention. I just smile at that. "Thanks, Lieutenant Clear--" In that split second, I realize what I did and instinctively raise a claw up to block my face. And just in time, as a fireball makes an impact. I then lower my claw to find that he disappeared from his initial position. I quickly whirl my head around, looking for my opponent... but I can't find him anywhere. "Hey, over here." the voice calls. I turn my head to him, only to realize that he had returned to his earlier position. He then gets into a fighting stance himself. "Focus. Remember?" I just growl. "Got it..." "You could at least try to take it easy," another voice scolds. "She's only 13, after all." He sighs at that. "I know... but I can't help myself sometimes." I take that moment of distraction as an opportunity to close in on his location, my claw being enveloped in fire, and land a solid punch. Unfortunately, he saw through it as my punch phased right through his after image. I turn quickly and see that he's closing in on me quickly, his own claw enveloped in fire. I raise my right claw to block, but I quickly realize that it's a bad idea as his punch lands, causing me to cry out in pain. I then lose my balance, falling to the ground again... on my right arm. I wince as I clutch my arm again. He quickly rushes over and bends down. "Are you alright?" I just groan. "Yeah..." He looks at me with a serious expression before looking off to the side. "Training's over. You can start again tomorrow." I stare at him in shock. "What?! But... but I can still fight!" "Not with your right arm in that condition," he responds, lifting it up to inspect it. I can only wince at that. "Uh-huh. It's bruised. Any more, and it would be broken." "He's right," a new voice calls out, catching his attention. "You shouldn't push yourself too far. Your father made the same mistake three times before." He looks at the new unicorn in the room in surprise. "General Reverb. I didn't know you would be coming." She just nods. "I came to see how training was going." She then approaches me, a bit worried. "You're lucky your father stopped before he did any serious damage." I just stare at her in awe. "Y-you're... you're the one that my dad always talks about..." She raises an eyebrow as she looks at my dad. "Skips, have you been spreading rumors about me?" It's his turn to raise an eyebrow. "What? No! I just... y'know... told her about our history together." She simply stares at him with a blank expression. "Even... that thing?" He just puts a claw behind his head, looking down. "I, uh... I haven't... told her that part yet." I look between the two in confusion. "Wait, what thing?" That causes him to sigh. "It's probably best to ask your mother about it." "Wait, hold on... wasn't that supposed to be history between the two of you?" I respond, still confused. "Yes... and no." Reverb looks directly at her, wearing a slightly somber expression. "Your mother found out before I did." I just raise an eyebrow, still confused. "Found out what?!" He then looks down at that. "I believe your chariot is waiting." Reverb nods. "Indeed." She then turns to leave. "Come along, Starburst." I just look between the two, still confused, before eventually complying, sighing in frustration. "This is just confusing..." "It's confusing for everyone," Clear replies. He then looks up in thought. "There's a reason Captain Skips is such an excellent warrior." I just raise an eyebrow. "Doesn't his dragon nature automatically make him an excellent warrior?" He just chuckles at that. "I believe that's one for your mother to tell." I just roll my eyes at that. "Fine." I then start to follow Reverb, but not before turning back. "Just know that one day soon, I'll be able to surpass you." He just chuckles at that. "Spirited! Just like your dad!" I then wave at him, falling in step with Reverb. She can't help but stare at my right arm. "Does it hurt?" "Hmm?" I look over at Reverb, and I notice immediately what she's referring to. I start to clutch my arm. "Yeah... it's pretty bad." She looks at it carefully. "Sometimes, your father goes a bit too far..." I just frown at that. "I know, but... in the long run it'll make me stronger... right?" Reverb frowns at that. "Not necessarily." She then starts to board the chariot. I board the chariot alongside her, but I see a pony off in the alleyway. They look... strange. Their coat is a rugged matted brown, as is their mane and tail, and one of his eyes is made of crystal. "Wonder who that is...?" She looks at me, then over in the direction I'm facing. She then quickly turns to the pegasi carrying the chariot. "We need to go. Now!" A pony with a midnight blue coat paces back and forth in her room, worried for her daughter's safety. She mumbles and groans as she paces. This catches the attention of one of the guards outside of her room. "Is everything alright, Princess Luna?" he asks, turning to face the door. She looks over at the door, sighing. "Everything's fine." She then walks over to the balcony, looking off in the distance. "At least, I hope so..." she mutters. "Alright, I'll take your word for it." The guard doesn't sound convinced. Luna just looks out at the moon. "Starburst..." > Into the Pale Moonlight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I know..." Skips says to no one in particular. Clear just raises an eyebrow. "Having another conversation with him?" He's too distracted by... something else. "I know..." A pause. Then a sigh. "I just... I thought she would be using her magic a little more often." He then looks up at the ceiling, then a moment later shakes his head. "No... I'm not trying to force it on her." Clear just nods. "I'll give you two your privacy, then." He then makes his way over to his bed. He just clasps his head. "I know, Kaiser... I just... sometimes I don't think things through." Another moment of silence, before he groans. "Yeah... thanks for rubbing it in." The trip is mostly spent in silence, though Reverb can't help but start a bit of banter. "So, how was school?" I just sigh. "It was... better today." She can't help but smile at that. "Have they finally stopped bullying you?" I shake my head. "No..." I then smile at the memory. "... but there was a guy I met today." "Oh?" She just smiles at that. "What was he like?" I can't help but smile at that. "He's just... so energetic and so... flamboyant. He loves to boast about his tricks, and he claims that one day he'll put on a show so spectacular it'll put the Sonic Rainboom to shame." Reverb just smiles at that. "He sounds pretty bold too." I just chuckle at that. "I wouldn't doubt it. His dad is his inspiration." I then look down, thinking back to earlier. "Hey... what was that all about?" She just raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" I look up at her, a bit unsettled. "That pony. You sounded like you know him. Who was he?" She frowns at that, looking forward. "A pony from a group that your dad and his friends have been fighting with to survive in Ponyville." I just raise an eyebrow. "What kind of group?" She simply gives her a blank expression. "They're part of a dragon hunting group known as GIVEMEHEAD." I can't help but snicker at the name. "Who came up with that name?!" "A pony who probably isn't allowed to name anything else," she responds. I just chuckle, then I look down in thought. "... I think I remember some ponies in school mentioning something like that." I then blush. "And all this time, I thought..." Reverb just looks a bit unsettled. "Aren't you a bit young to be having those thoughts?" My cheeks turn even redder. "I... m-may have spent a bit too much time hanging out with Vinyl." She just looks forward with a neutral expression. "No wonder." "We have arrived," one of the pegasi informs as they make a landing in front of the castle. I just nod as I exit the chariot. "Thanks for the chat, Reverb." She smiles at that. "Anytime, Starburst." The castle doors then burst open to reveal a relieved Princess Luna as she rushes over to Starburst and tackles her with a hug. "Oh, Starburst, I missed you so much!" I stumble back a bit at the assault, pain shooting through my right arm. "Ow..." I then give her a smile, trying my hardest to not show the pain. "... I missed you too, mom." She then quickly releases her hug, a worried expression on her face. "What happened? Did you get hurt again?" I just rub my right arm, acting oblivious. "What? No. I just..." "Don't lie to me, Starburst." She then pokes my right arm, causing me to recoil a bit. She then raises an eyebrow. "Hard day of training?" I shake my head slowly, but her expression remains unchanged. I then sigh at that. "I might have pushed myself more than I should have." "Uh-huh." Luna just looks at my right arm. "If I know Skips, he should go easy on you tomorrow." She then grins. "And if he doesn't, he's sure to get an earful from me." I giggle at that. "Sometimes he just doesn't know when to quit." She looks at the castle, then back to me. "Shall we take this inside?" I just shrug. "Sure. I got something I need to ask you anyways." She just raises an eyebrow, but nods as the two of us head into the castle. We pass several rooms and corridors, some full of trophies, some full of scrolls, and others... well, guest bedrooms, I suppose. Then... "Evening, mother," comes a voice from behind us. I just sigh at that. "Blueblood." He turns to me with a look of disgust. "Starburst." Luna simply cranes her neck back. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Blueblood?" "Well, yes, but... all the commotion you stirred up woke the..." he then shudders. "other fillies." I can't help but glare at him. "Do you have some sort of vendetta against us?" He just chuckles. "Of course not, Starburst. I would do anything to look out for my family." Luna simply looks at him with an uninterested look. "Sure." She then looks at me. "I'm heading off." She then walks away. I look at her as well, keeping in step. "And I'm coming with you." Once the two are out of earshot, Blueblood simply glares at me. "One day, Starburst..." Once the two of us make it to Luna's room, I sit on her bed. She starts to make her way over to the balcony, but stops to look at me. "You said you wanted to talk about something?" I look at her, then sigh. "My dad... he's keeping some sort of secret from me." Luna simply sighs at that. "I'm not sure why, but he insisted on it." I look down at that, a bit disheartened. "So... he doesn't trust me?" Luna shakes her head. "Of course he trusts you! Why would you think otherwise?" I look over at her, raising an eyebrow. "Then what is it? What does he not want me to know?" She then sighs. "I believe that is for your father to tell you." I just give her an incredulous look. "He told me to ask you." She looks out at the moon, then looks back at me. "Go to bed. I'll show you then." She then walks out to the balcony. I just nod, turning back the covers to Luna's bed and hopping in. I bundle up, clinging tightly to the covers as my eyes close. My mind wanders to the events of today... to the jerks at school, to the guy that ran them off... to the training... then my arm starts to hurt again. I just clasp my arm, hoping the pain will go away. It takes a while for me to even get comfortable, but eventually I just accept the pain and drift off to sleep. > Let the Sparks Fly > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A thin dragon wanders around in the skies of Ponyville. Every cloud he jumps to starts to crackle, his serpent-like body surging with electricity. As he tries to gain more speed, he can't help but notice a strange looking pony with a crystal eye staring at him. He sighs, then quickly makes a landing, the ground around him sparking. "Yeah, what do you want?" he asks in an uninterested tone, raising an eyebrow. The old pony then cackles at that. "I think you know exactly what I want." He simply looks up. "Uh... let's see..." He then shakes his head. "Nope. Don't know." The pony simply gazes at him, a sinister smile on his face that shows his rotten teeth. "Let's just say, I'll be adding you to my collection." He then glares at the old man. "You're wasting the Amazing Thunderstruck's time... so unless you're here for something important, beat it." He can't help but cackle even more. "And just what are you gonna do?" Thunderstruck spits a bolt of lightning at the old man, and watches as the bolt hits him. "Now then... I have an amazing spectacle to practice for, if you don't mind." He starts to fly off, until he hears more cackling. "Something still funny to you?" he asks, looking back. As the smoke clears, he notices something that causes him to gasp. The old man was still standing, his eyeball acting as a lightning rod, absorbing the shock. "Y'know... that shot wasn't half bad." The dragon simply backs away. "Y-you're... one of them..." He chuckles at that. "I guess our reputation precedes us." He then reaches in his pack and throws a rope with balls attached to the ends at him. Thunderstruck simply takes to the sky before it could ensnare him. What he failed to notice is that the weighted rope was homing in on him. The rope then catches his back, the balls beginning to wrap around his scrawny body, as he is brought down. "Gah!" The old geiser starts to cackle once again. "You think we're not trained to capture dragons?" Thunderstruck just looks at him, a bit fearful for what's to come. "Wh-what do you want with me?!" He scoffs at that, looking to the side. "Always with the questions..." He then looks at Thunderstruck with a glare. "We want the hybrids dead." He gulps at that. "H-hybrids? You don't mean, like... like me, do you?" "You catch on fast, kid," the old man replies. "Too bad you can't hold on to your life for much longer." He then grabs the young dragon-pony hybrid and walks off. "You know when mom and dad find out that I'm missing, they'll be after you too," he states, trying to intimidate his captor. The pony just cackles at that, causing Thunderstruck to recoil a bit. "That's part of the plan!" Suddenly, he hears hoofsteps from behind him, causing him to wheel around... but he can't see anything. "What the..." He then starts to glare. "Squad! On your guard!" Thunderstruck turns to see stallions coming out of the shadows in all directions, all on high alert. He then chuckles. "Gee, for dragon hunters you sure are tense." "Silence, little whelp!" the old man snaps. Before he can do anything else, he feels a sharp pain in his neck, and he turns to try and find the source... but he can still see nothing. He growls at that. "Squad! Let's roll!" He then starts walking, the squad following suit. Unfortunately, with each step they take, each stallion falls to a similar pain. He looks back, noticing that all of his guards are incapacitated. He backs away at that. "Looking for somepony?" a gentle voice speaks as he turns around quickly. It doesn't take long for the fear to set in. She resembles Celestia in height, her grey coat glistening in the pale moonlight, and her purple mane and tail drooping to the side. But what made it so terrifying was the fact that she had no cutie mark, her eyes were red and slitted... and protruding from her mouth was a pair of fangs. The old man simply stutters at that. "Wh-who... who are you?" She looks at him with an uninterested look. "That is none of your concern... but I can tell you what I'm craving." He brings a hoof to his neck as it starts to burn with pain. He starts to back away, dropping his prize. "Wha...?" She then smiles, her fangs completing the intimidating look. "Thanks. I believe he was mine to begin with." She then walks up to Thunderstruck, cutting the rope in a single strike. He simply looks up at her, a bit more afraid than he was before. "What are you... what are you gonna do with me?" "Simple." She then grabs him and runs away as quickly as possible. The old pony just sits there, infuriated at the events that just transpired. "I swear, ASSFUC better get their shit together..." I lay down in the shade of my favorite tree on the school grounds, revelling in the peace that comes with it. "Hey there," a voice calls from the distance. I sit up and smile at who I see... the guy that stood up for me. "Hey there, Thunderstruck." He makes his way over to me, sitting right beside me. "So, what's my favorite shooting star been up to?" I just look up at the sky. "Not much. Just hanging around, waiting for mom." I then smile. "What about you? Any new magnificent shocking surprises?" He just shrugs. "Eh, not really. I've got the Thunder Clap down for sure, but I can't seem to do the Thunder Ring yet..." I just smile. "You'll get there, I'm sure of it." He can't help but chuckle. "I'm not giving up just yet. I said I was gonna blow the Rainboom out of the waters with that trick, and I'm gonna do it." I just start to giggle at that. "You've got my support here." Thunderstruck smiles at that. "I know." "I can see you're having a good time," a voice calls out. I just sigh at that. "Sorry... gotta go." He simply smiles as his body is disintegrated. "It's alright. Now, if you don't mind, I've got a trick to perfect." And just like that, he disappears in a puff of smoke. I smile at that, then look at my mom. "So... what's up?" She then looks at me with a smile. "I believe it is time."