Soul Fire

The air whistled as multiple spears and arrows cut through the air at the fiery blue form standing in the middle of the ballroom. Her glow was neither light nor dark. It didn’t brighten the room like the blaze of the sun, or make a dim gentle glow around her like that of the moon. It was like the glow of her flame that resonated within her elemental form. In response to the attack of spears and arrows that were thrown and fired upon her, Amber reared up, striking the air with her hooves. The legs formed by flames rippled in the air as a cry erupted from her voice in the most iridescent and clear notes and tones as her firewall arose in front of her turning, all of the spears and arrows into ash that silently and gently fell to the cracked ballroom floor.

“Cease fire!” commanded Princess Luna as she entered the room in full gear.

“Amber!?” the Princess asked. Amber looked puzzled but then shook her head and blinked a few times realizing then who she was.

“Princess Luna?” Amber almost whispered. She was so quiet as she bowed with grace and remained there with perfect stillness. The Princess Luna looked about the once grand ballroom at the now burnt blood that adorned the once clear floor.

“Sombre?” the Princess asked, as a whimper erupted from behind the old cracked throne.

She smiled as she spoke softly, “Oh Sombre. Are we playing hide and seek?”

Taking flight with gentleness and grace, Princess Luna hovered over the stone throne and looked behind it to see a little dark gray colt who gasped and ran to the other side when she saw him.

“Oh Sombre, it's ok. Nopony is going to hurt you. You can come out now,” she said as she flew to the few steps just before the throne. Landing on the edge of them, still on the thrones platform.

“Why?” he asked in a small quivering child’s voice.

His head dropped in shame and sadness as he continued, “Don't you hate me? After all that I’ve done.”

“That's up for debate, Sombre,” Amber said as she walked silently up the steps, save for the ripples of her flame in the wind.

She giggled as he made a face, “Even after all that, we don't hate you. At least I don’t. Some may dislike you, and mistrust you for a time. And I can’t say I’m not one of them. But the good ponies… ponies like me, and the Princess will forgive you.”

“Even if you have been a bad pony in the past, it doesn't mean that you’re going to be a bad pony forever,” continued the Princess.

“Really?” Sombre asked, looking up as he sniffled.

“The possibilities are endless when you keep trying. Right Luna?” said Amber.

“Always,” she replied smiling.

Amber turned around to where the Captain was last seen. She stepped forward in complete silence as a sad look leaked into the eyes of her still face.

“Give him time, Amber,” Princess Luna said as she placed an unafraid hoof on her fiery shoulder. The flame did not burn. It was like the flame was an aura around her. Only burning those who intended harm upon her. Amber’s blue flame then began to melt away, leaving behind her true physical and alive form as if she never died in the first place. The flames traveled up her legs, and along her tail and nose as the collective pieces of flame gathered onto her back and sprouted forth in the shape of two flame wings. The flames then dissipated in a chattering mini blast that touched nothing but did its purpose in revealing her wings, which she gently folded against her back.

“He knows, but he must find his own answers,” Princess Luna continued as she turned and walked around to face in front of Amber.

“I know. I just wish that… I didn't feel like I have to chain myself and hold back from him as I wait,” she replied, looking to the floor.

Princess Luna lifted her chin and spoke, “Who said you had to? You love him. Don't kill your heart each time he feels he has to do this.”

“But it hurts when I do. Even if I hold back just to save myself a bit and feel numb, it’s the same.”

“That's not the answer and you know it. Sometimes to find the right answer, you have to ask yourself the right questions first.”

“Really?” Amber asked as the Princess nodded as she picked up the sleepy little dark gray colt that was Sombre.

“So, what is the real question, Amber?”

Amber thought about it for a second and then spoke, “If those are the options then.. it… it’s about… which option I would prefer. Not for him, but for me.”

“Go home, Amber,” said Princess Luna. “He'll find his way in time.”

Amber passed the standing soldiers as she walked through the ballroom door, taking flight as she entered the now clear calm night sky. Heading for her home, the willow, she took the chance to enjoy the forest below and valley beyond. She felt not entirely at peace, but was simply happy to be feeling her own emotions clearly for once. Even if those emotions were causing the small watery tears to fall from her eyes. She began to cry as she reached the willow cliff top.

She landed smoothly, turned around, looked to the setting moon, and crumbled atop the cliffs edge. She lay down upon the snow as she gasped through tears. Then she looked up, and began to giggle at herself. Never before had she ever cried so much. She smiled, wiping away the salty tears that stained her cheeks. She guessed that sometimes things just were the way they were, and you couldn't stop them. Including feeling the way she did right now. She certainly was a silly filly.

Looking down at her hoof, she easily called fire to the smooth hard surface. Cutting off the blue flame, Amber breathed deep and looked within herself; the fire was back stronger than ever. She realized then that fire was life, because it was alive. Collecting all her thoughts, she realized that fire could be contained but not controlled. It rippled in the wind and grew and died depending on its surrounding. It wasn’t something that you could force. It was just as alive as anything else.

Thinking to herself she thought, ‘Then what is life?It is the cells in our bodies, the random luck, and simple chance of it having been created. Is it magic, which seemed to be just as alive as fire, though seeming to be just as difficult and yet easier at the same time to focus and control? Maybe it was the fire itself, and the will of life that came with it. And that was the reason why it can’t be controlled.’

Amber knew that it could be focused, but like the rippling waves of the sea, or the currents of the wind, fire moved. It was a movement, a motion, an emotion, and a dance. Fire couldn’t be forced; it had to be felt. If fire was to be focused properly it had to be allowed to move and accept the ripples in the wind. Only a mature flame could do this, for an immature one would become uncontrollable.

Like the beginning of a forest fire, wind could feed the fire’s anger to burn the way it wanted, and would in turn be stubborn and burn the forest. If still stubborn in its conquest, fire could be blown into another direction, overtaking a greater section of the forest as it flew across the grass, and leapt from tree to tree. If the flame would but become still enough to feel its own movement and emotion, and then learn to just roll with it…

She should have known. She should have known that it wasn’t within controlling the flame within her that would enable her to help others. It was within feeling her own self and emotions that she could let the flame within her breathe, and live. Her only concern was that if this was true, then fire couldn’t be controlled, only felt. It wasn’t through force that you could control a flame. It was through the understanding of its ripples.

She had to let her emotions flow. It wasn’t always a bad thing when she was sad and crying for almost no reason, just as it wasn’t a bad thing to be happy for the weirdest reasons. She worried that this was bipolar, but then realized that it wasn’t. It was simply hypersensitivity. The smallest of reasons could affect her. Lifting her into joy or sorrow. Worry would become doubt, doubt would become fear, and fear would become great sadness and suffering. It was like fire was an amplifier of all of that.

Amber thought of the Captain, of Rio, and of how moments like these felt like she could do nothing but hold onto herself when she thought of him, and how everything else felt sluggish to her. She didn’t hold them back. If these were her true emotions, then she would let them flow as she should, for she knew that there was always something brighter awaiting her if she didn’t fight it, and if she accepted it.

The emotions ran through her quicker than she expected. She thought of all that worried her and saddened her, only to find the happy moments; moments of peace, laughter, happiness, and of moments that they had shared together. She fell for him all over again in her memories and felt that the smallest moments of all out weighed all else that tried to stop it. She found that she wouldn’t trade one moment of sadness or happiness, because in the end, after searching through it all she felt so happy that the tears that fell from her cheeks now, where tears of happiness.

The leaves and brush behind her moved. She turned to search the dark forest behind her home. The leaves opened up to the form of the Captain's monster as he walked through the green foliage towards her, growling as he approached. Amber sat up, still facing the open air after the cliff as she twisted her equine body towards him and wiped the tears from her eyes. She smiled as the beast stopped in his tracks, a mere ten feet from her.

“I thought that you wouldn't come back,” she said. The monster seemed to be struck stupid but then lowered his head and stance, and earnestly growled at her.

“You’re mad at me, aren't you,” she asked. He sneezed in response and then turned as if to leave.

“You’re going to make mistakes,” she blurted out, making him stop in his tracks.

“And I'm going to make mistakes. And I don't care. Please, listen to me and believe me. I don't care! I care for you. But I won't put up with any of your bullshit like what you’re pulling right now, but I will forgive you. And that forgiveness is my choice not yours as to whom I forgive, whether you believe it’s right or wrong is your opinion. You can't control everything, and nor can I. And shit is… and will happen. It’s inevitable. So I don't care,” she realized then that she had stood up and faced him as she nearly screamed out the last of what she was blurting out. The monster began growling as he turned and began to stalk her, only for him to crouch and lunge at her, jumping on top of her as he bared his teeth.

She punched him as hard as she could in the chest with her left hoof, then punched his face with her right when he dared to show fangs at her as she landed on her back, bearing an angry growl of her own. His face had turned to the side from her punch as his lips fell down and into a normal position. He then turned his head and looked at her.

“Screw you!” she screamed at him as the beast began to chuckle. His voice moving from the beasts deep angry tone into the deep light tone of the Captain’s as the monster’s fur grew long and then fell off as if it melted away. After a light sneeze in response to all of the fur that had landed on her nose, she realized that the Captain, that Rio, was laughing on top of her. She broke into a massive smile as she beamed back at him.

“You brat,” she said as she shook her head and crossed her front legs. She turned away and began to pout, trying to be mad at him. He chuckled at her attempted pout and smiled at her. She looked up at him and then found that she just couldn't be mad at him anymore as she broke into a massive smile, because she was just so happy for him to be here. He placed a hoof on her face and became serious, almost sad in a way as a tear began to form in his eye.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,” he said as he hugged her and kept murmuring the apology over and over again.

“Rio,” she said softly. “Rio. Rio, it's okay stop. Please, it's okay you're going to make me cry. Rio please stop. Please, and I'm sorry too but please…”

He lifted his head and looked at her face that actually had shed a sole few tears of happiness. He took her chin gently in his hoof and came near, only to join their lips and kiss her for the very first time. She melted into that kiss, becoming absolutely liquid fire as she grabbed hold of him, never wanting that kiss to end. It was going to be hard as they were both very, very stubborn, but she hoped that they would simply be stubborn together. And never give up on each other.

The end