Blaze of Gloryby JinzouChaptersTaking InventoryLight 'Em UpEverfree ForestHorses Don't Eat Birds, Right?Full CircleSweet Apple FamilyThe Nightmare BeginsTaking InventoryAlone Together Okay, okay. No need to panic. I'm just a phoenix. In the middle of who knows where. And no idea how to get home. That's no reason to panic, right? ... Right? Okay. Calm down. Remember what the survival class told you. S.T.O.P. I forgot what s stood for. Okay, must not be important then, right? T? Uh, terrain? Terabyte? Terminator? Terminator might be helpful here, but I doubt I can summon him. O, observe. Okay. I'm a human who burned to death and now I'm a bird inside a large nest. P. P stand for... People? Are there any people here? A quick look over the nest to the quite large fall told me I might not find out for quite a while. I mean, I've had some vivid dreams, but this takes the cake. And the rest of the dessert table. Wait, dream? That's it! I'm still in bed, waiting for the day I get to spend hanging out with Cynthia. So what? I close my eyes and wake up? Worth a try. ... Well unless my room is now filled with giant twigs, it didn't work. Crap. The only other solution I could think of was hurtling myself off the nest to see if it could wake me up. But... that didn't sound like such a great idea. Especially since I kinda couldn't fly onto the side of the nest. And I was too short to see over at what I would be falling at anyways. Oh god, it's fifth grade all over. All we need now are three guys to pants half the school. Then again, I'm a freakin phoenix. I could live out this dream, and then wake up when everything was normal. I hear a soft rustling of twigs as something large lands next to me. I turn around to view the mothership herself, holding a bundle of worms in her mouth. She proceeded to lean toward me, worms being turned into a pulp in her mouth. Feeding time. I take it back, this isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. ********** "Ryan?" "Oh god, why did this happen?" "This is all my fault..." ... "Hey, wait a minute, the flames are dying down." ... "Where is his body?" Cynthia looked upon a strange scene. On the floor, where seconds ago lay her friend, was a burn mark where his body was. But he was gone. There weren't even ashes... Why was she thinking about such trivial things? Her friend just burnt to death for Christ's sake! Strangely though, the flames had not spread. In fact, all but one patch remained. Wait, this wasn't a patch of flames, it was something solid. Cynthia, still in a state of shock, hoping to find something to explain what had just happened. What she found was a feather. A fire-red feather. ********** Well that was disgusting. Let's not revisit that. Anyways, back to the trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. My previous statements still held true. I was a baby phoenix in a giant nest. The mother phoenix had proven it. I had a red and yellow... broken thing laying near me. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an egg. Like what a baby bird would hatch out of. So does that mean- No, this is just a dream. a really vivid dream. I'm sticking to that story. Anyways. There were other red and yellow eggs in the nest, all jumbled together. I counted three. So, my dream self had siblings. That was... interesting. I had never had siblings in real life. The nest was nestled snugly in the beginning of a fork a branch was making. I seemed to be pretty high up. Makes sense. Thank god I was not afraid of heights. Well, not too afraid... So, I'm stuck up here until I learn to fly. Great. Okay, think. You took biology, how long does it take for chicks to start? Okay, birds usually start flying when all their feathers come in, I think. No, that doesn't sound right. I think the larger the bird, the slower it takes. Well, I think I'm quite small for a baby bird, and I do have all my feat- wait a second, phoenixes don't exist, why would they go with the laws of nature? Hell, I'm in a dream! Time to take flight! I clawed my way to the top of the nest. I opened my wings. I took a great leap. And I plummeted like a rock. Light 'Em Up"Ttttthiiisss wwwwaasss aaaa veeerryyyy baaaaddddd iddeeeaaaa!" I shouted, wind whipping me in the face. I had become a phoenix, decided to fly, and killed myself all within ten minutes. Great. I closed my eyes tight and waited for the inevitable. The wind rushed through my feathers, my wings flared open, my talons gripped together. I felt alive. I risked opening my eyes. And there I was. Speeding along, just above the ground. Hell yeah. I was flying. ******** Reaching out, I felt weak, what was a feather doing in a place like this? I hesitated to touch it, what the hell was going on here? Whatever it was, I wouldn't learn anything more by sticking around here. There was a fire, it might have been reported. People could be on their way right now, and how was I supposed to explain that? "Yeah, my and a friend were hanging around for no particular reason, and then he spontaneously combusted. Gotta hate Mondays, amirite?" I pocketed the feather and stood up. "Goodbye Ryan. I'll figure this out, I swear." There was a small moment of silence, then I left. ******** "WOOOOOOO" I screamed! Well, in all honesty, it sounded more like an eagle screech, given I was a bird and all, but you get the point. I zipped across the ground, then with a few mighty flaps of my wings, I was zipping through the branches. Kinda weird I was already this agile, but then again, this whole thing was weird. People don't usually burst into flames and turn into mythical birds. Speaking of flames, with one head turn, I noticed my wings were aflame. Now that's badass. Unfortunately, while I was admiring being on fire again, I failed to notice a very solid object in front of me until I went crashing neck-first into it. A very large, purple thing. With a very dangerous looking horn coming out of it's forehead. It seemed to be momentarily stunned. So did I. This dream just got weirder, as I realized what I was looking at was a unicorn. "Ow, that really hurt!" Scratch that, a talking unicorn that just seemed to notice it was hit by a very small creature it could easily overpower. I hate Mondays. Everfree ForestAlleyways and Airways "Ow! Hey, watch where you're goin-" The purple creature began the customary greeting, before it devours its prey. My wings locked at my sides, I trembled, and pushed myself backwards with my talons. Screw being a phoenix, I'd prefer fists to wings right about now. The creature just stared at me for a second, before a wide grin appeared on its face. Yep, it's gonna eat me. "Don't eat me, I promise I don't taste like chicken! I taste like burnt flesh! Well, I think so at least, never tried eating myself." But all that came out were squawks. I had a feeling this creature didn't speak bird. Or dinner. What an intelligent tangent I was getting off on. "A phoenix, wow! I've never seen one so close!" It spoke. So, I find a talking purple thing with a purple ice cream cone sticking out of its head, who speaks English, and has not tried devouring or bisecting me yet. This dream gets weirder and weirder. "My name's Twilight Sparkle! I'm a student under Princess Celestia studying friendship in Ponyville! Wait, why am I introducing myself to a phoenix?" She asked herself, looking confused. "Oh well, I'm just so excited to see one of you so up close. And when you're not trying to attack me and set me on fire." Fire. "Ryan!" Oh god, how stupid was I? How must Cynthia be reacting? Is my body still ther- No. I can't think like that. I'm just dreaming. But damn, this was realistic. Besides, I think this "Twilight" could smell fear. She was looking at, looking a bit awkward at my giving her the silent treatment. Well, I'm not gonna stay to hold a staring contest with a giant purple monster. With a flurry, a sqwack, and some luck, I managed to take to the air. "Hey, wait! Aw ponyfeathers." The purple creature looked disappointed at my grand escape. It turned around and began walking the way it came. Given the fact that I had nothing better to do, and was really not scared, and didn't want to see how powerful this creature was, I decided to try and stealthily follow it. Eventually the creature came across a small hut. It walked inside, a frown fixed on its face. A rhythmic voice greeted my ear-holes. "Ah, Twilight, good to see you, my dear. But tell me my friend, what brings you here?" The voice sounded deep, but female in nature. I flitted to a branch outside a window looking in. I saw Twilight, and... a zebra? Okay, we have talking zebras and talking... What was Twilight? Quadruped. Mane. Horn. Well, I guess if phoenixes can exist in this world, so can talking unicorns. I crept forward silently on my branch, trying to hear what Twilight was saying. "- and it was right in the middle of the Everfree Forest!" Everfree Forest? I crept forward a bit more. "A phoenix? That's strange, but that it's not hostile is quite a change." So the talking zebra talked in rhymes. This dreams keeps getting weirder. Twilight looked around, and then leaned in to the zebra, whispering something. I turned my ear towards her, and moved forward a bit more. Unfortunately. that's where the branch decided to end. For the second time that day, I dropped like a stone. Unfortunately, this time, I didn't find myself gracefully soaring above the ground, I found myself flapping in panic, and ending up slamming right into the window of the hut, which was apparently cracked open. I did a spectacular fly into a bottle of something sticky, and then fell backwards into what felt like a pit. I found out later it was a cauldron. Thank god it wasn't being used at the moment. I'd like to say I popped right out and said something cool that would make my spectacular fail a little more planned, but all that came out were panicked bird noises and Some thrashing about. Real smooth, Ryan, real smooth. ********* I took out the feather again and looked at it. I was starting to wonder if this was some sort of nightmare I was stuck in. The touch of the feather made me feel.. trapped. It was like I was surrounded by all sides. There was only way to figure this out. Straight up. Could this be something along the lines of divine int- ...no. That was stupid. There has to be something going on though, something I couldn't understand at the moment. But that doesn't mean I wasn't going to try. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize where I was until it was too late. "Well well well, what have we here? A poor little lost girl? How lucky for us." Fuck, I'd walked right into an alleyway, and straight into some thugs, by the looks of them. There were three men, easily six feet each. The one in front had a leather jacket that was zipped up to the bottom of his neck, tattered jeans, and a five o' clock shadow slapped on his otherwise hairless face. He looked like he had a run in with a wall a few too many times, as his nose was rather broad and flat. He had a scar running from the corner of his neck up to one side of his lip, on the other side of his face. The rest of the men were shrouded in darkness, but I could make out similar clothing fashions. One was holding a metal pipe in his hand. I slowly backed up, I didn't think I could take out three fully grown men at the same time. "Marcus, restrain her. Let's see what she has in that little bag of hers." The man with the pipe stepped into the light. He had black hair tossed carelessly in his face, reaching down to his upper lip. Brilliant green eyes shone through the tangled mane of hair, giving him the impression of someone somewhat attractive that had let himself go with a few too many cups. His face was sharply angled, and he had a sly grin plastered on his face. "My pleasure, Cap." His words flowed out like honey, but their intent was all but sweet. "Stay back, or I can't be held accountable for what happens to you." I said, putting on a front of bravado. "Ooh, a feisty one" Marcus grinned. "I think I'm gonna enjoy this." He reached his hand out for me, and I responded by slapping it away. "C'mon baby, don't be like that. We just want a peek at what you got, and then we'll all move on." Okay, think Cynthia. Observe your surroundings. I'm in a dark alleyway, I have three guys trying to rob me, one has a pipe, the other two have undetermined weapons. One is moving to restrain me, one is watching, and the other is guarding the exit. There are no means of escape. I hit the wall. I pressed my back and legs to the wall, trying to shrink away from Marcus. My foot hit something solid that wasn't the ground, and that almost knocked me off balance. A quick look down confirmed it was a brick. A plan formed in my mind. A crazy, stupid plan that would most likely get me killed. My favorite kind of plan. Marcus stopped in front of my, his breath reeking of alcohol. I instinctively raised my hands to my face. He lunged for my hands. He was quick. But I was quicker. I grabbed his hand, and twisted down, rolling down between his legs, at the same time I kicked his legs out from under him and his face had a sudden meeting with the cold hard ground. I was about to breath a sigh of relief when the boss grabbed my hands and forced them behind me. He spun me around to face the other thug, who had a gun pointed straight at my face. Shit. "Well, we've got ourselves a spitfire here." The big guy laughed. "I think I'm gonna enjoy this." Horses Don't Eat Birds, Right?Allies and Enemies "Agh! What was that?" Twilight asked, sounding spooked. Well at least that was something. The zebra peered down at me, and smiled. That can't be good. "It seems, dear Twilight, your problem has a fix. For looking right back at me is a Phoenix." So we have a unicorn and Shakespeare in the hut. Doth Twilight know your cooketh her bird? I attempted to spread my wings and nope the hell out of there, but my left wing was stuck to my side, it appears I got something sticky from one of the vials in the hut on me. Oh, how wonderful. Twilight peered into the cauldron, staring down at me. There was a wide grin on her face. Uh oh. ******* "Get off me you friggin-" He covered my mouth with his hand, cutting off the potential verbal bashing I was about to bestow upon his criminal ass. "Now now now, missy, don't want to tire yourself out so quickly yet, do you? We still have plans for you." What? Wouldn't be being tired help them rob me- ... Aw hell naw. My struggles increased, and to make sure I didn't break free, he removed his hand from my mouth and used that to help restrain me. Idiot. I leaned as far forward as I could, and with one quick movement, sent the back of my head sailing into his nose as hard as I could. I heard a exclamation of surprise, and he brought his hands up to his nose to try and stem the bleeding. I hit him in the jaw with three hooks and he was down for the count. But I wasn't so lucky. I felt a searing pain as three bullets entered my left arm. It felt like somebody was pressing a hot coat to me. Oh god, that was a lot of blood. Oh god, oh shit, no, this can't be happening. I slumped against the back wall of the alley, holding my left arm with my right. It hurt less than I thought I would. I took a deep breath, and hoped I could still go through with this crazy plan. I slid down to my knees, and slowly reached down with my right hand. I would need the element of surprise here. I let out a quiet sob, acting defeated. The man with the gun scoffed and pointed is gun at me. "Get up girl, I'm not done with you." I attempted to get up, and just slid back down, but to a kneeling position this time. The man rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of my shirt. Strike three, you're out. I quickly stood up and swung my brick to my right side, connecting to the side of his head. He fell the ground, clutching his head. Man these guys were idiots. I planted my knee on his chest, ready to bring the finishing blow right square in the face, but it looks like this one was a bit smarter than I thought. He brought the butt of his gun to my head, and I rolled of him, he stumbled to his feet, holding his gun point blank. Shit. ******** I was trapped. I closed my eyes, and tilted my head downwards. There was no way out of this. I felt a gentle feeling flow through my feathers, like a gentle, cool wind. No fiery burning? No torture? I'll take it. I glanced a look up. Twilight's horn was glowing with a purple aura, and her eyes were closed, a small smile on her face. I glanced down at my body, and was a bit surprised to find the same purple aura was surrounding it. I spread my wings. I wasn't stuck anymore. So, she cleaned me off with magic? Seems legit. then again, I was a bird. I had no room to talk. I spread my wings, and fluttered to Twilight's back. I had no idea what was going on, and what better way to figure out what kind of twisted dream I landed in than to talk to a magical horse? I never thought I'd say that. If I ever get home, I'm swearing off drugs forever. Full CircleDespite the fact that I was riding on the back of a creature that wasn't supposed to exist, I quite enjoyed the next few minutes. I had come to terms with the fact that I had either completely gone insane, or was stuck in some weird dream, so when I saw the fantasy of every six year old in front of my eyes, I took it in stride. There were horses of every color scattered around the town, some with wings, some with horns, and some with neither. Well so much for equality. Could you give that kind of horse vampire fangs at very least? They seemed to be be bottom of the food chain. I mean, no horns, which seems to mean no magic, and no wings? That doesn't seem fair. Twilight stopped at the edge of town, in front of a giant... tree. Okay dream, you've gotten strange, but that's a meek attempt to break me. She... unlocked the tree, and stepped inside. My first thought was library. The walls of the tree were literally lined with books. Oh, the irony. It seems I can't escape from my studies even in my dreams. Gee, thanks brain, I get the point, I need to study. She stopped in the middle, and I took that as a sign that I should take wing. I flapped overhead for a while, and finally set upon the top part of a shelf to sit on. I wish these talons would let me sit/stand anywhere, but they were kinda curved. I suppose that was for catching prey. Magical world of horses, we still had birds of prey. Good to know that. Glad my mind wasn't hell-bent on making the girliest dream it could. "So uh, make yourself at home." Twilight said awkwardly, glancing at the floor. "Make myself at home" I parroted, which of course came out in the elusive and annoying language of the twittering idiots. Speaking of that, how I was supposed to make myself at home, in a tree, as a bird? Wow, that sounded stupid. "I'm just gonna go get a friend... be right back." And with that, Twilight disappeared. Meanwhile, I decided to take a little look around this "tree", explore my surroundings. There was a staircase off to my left, so I fluttered up that, coming up to what looked like a bedroom. A simple bed, carpet, a few books here and there. There was also a basket with a sheet over it. Attacked to the side looked like a purple... thing. It had green scales attached to the thing, pointing to the side. I flew over and stood on it. It fit well. It was then my curiosity got the best of me. And you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. They also forgot to mention that it nearly gave the phoenix a heart attack. I took hold of the sheet with my beak, and with an almighty tug, uncovered something. Something alive. It took me a minute to realize what I was truly looking at. It was a dragon. I gave out a surprised squawk that I'm not proud of, and fell off what must be his tail. The dragon woke up. It stretched and yawned, blinked sleepily, and then set it's eyes on what must be prey. "Morning Twili- Hey, who are you?" There was a moment where nobody moved. Then the creature scratched its head. Oh shit, it was preparing to charge... RUUUNNNNN FOR YOUR LIFEEEEEEE!!!!!! That's about the time I realized that trying to run as a bird was about as effective as a fish trying to climb a tree. So I took wing. In retrospect, I probably should have done that in the first place. "Hey, wait!" You won't deceive me, monster! I flapped around, looking for a quick exit. There was none. I was trapped in a tree... with a dragon. I can't imagine what my brain is trying to tell me now. Getting in touch with my feminine side would cause me to be trapped in a tree with my inner demons? Good thing I wasn't intending on getting in touch with my feminine side anyways. But the idea of fighting a dragon was fun. Providing I was human and could hold a sword or something. Be in a great glimmering cave, ready to save a fair maide- I just realized that a house made of wood might not be the best place to put two different creatures that can use fire. Well, if I was going down, I was gonna get some hits back on this monster. I spotted the dragon again, a worried look on his face, watching me circle above him. Usually when I was facing a dragon, I had a weapon of some sort. And hands. Hands were good. But all I had were these feather dusters attached to my side. And no maiden to save. Heck, I didn't even have a trusty steed. Oh well, all or nothing. I was going to battle with a giant threat, I needed a heroic war cry, and I like to tell you I rushed into battle screaming something cool that fathers would tell their children for centuries. I'd love to tell you that, but I can't. In reality, my war cry was something more along the lines of: "AGGHHHHH I'MM TOTALLYYY GONNNAAA DIEEEEE" I dived. ********** "So you just found him out in the middle of the forest?" "Well, to be a bit more accurate, he kinda flew into me beakfirst." "Oh my goodness, is he okay?" "To be honest, I don't know. He doesn't act like any phoenix I've ever heard of. Or any creature in the first place. Maybe the crash scrambled his brain." "Oh my, what do you mean?" "You'll see soon enough." Twilight and her accomplice reached the Golden Oaks Library, and Twilight unlocked the door, not knowing what to expect. Well for starters, it wasn't on fire, so that was a good sign. The two ponies wandered upstairs, after seeing the library devoid of all life. Or carcasses. No carcasses was good too. The other pony blinked twice, not expecting to see the sight that now greeted her eyes. "Well, looks like your friend met Spike, Twilight." "And I showed those Diamond Dogs what for, and rescued Rarity all by myself, Twilight and her friends right behind me. Those beasts won't bother her anymore!" Spike was relaxing, laying in Twilight's bed, the phoenix perched on his tail, his head tilted to the side, seemingly drawn in by his story. He turned his head as soon and Twilight entered the room. Spike, not noticing anything, continued to tell his story. "Sure you got all those events right, Spike?" Twilight spoke, and gave a little laugh when Spike jumped in the air, startled. "Oh, heh, hey Twilight. I was just uh... well you see..." Twilight smiled, shushing him with a flick of her tail. "Good to see you two got along so fast." At this point the phoenix turned his head away from Twilight and ducked it down, looking embarrassed. Spike too, looked a little uncomfortable at this. "Uh yeah Twilight, friends from the start. Ain't that right, bud?" The phoenix ignored that and fixed his eyes upon Twilight's friend. It didn't look happy. ********* There was a moment of tense silence, Twilight's friend was staring right at me, and I was staring right back. Nobody moved for what seemed to be several minutes. This moment meant everything. So much was at balance here. And this moment was holding back a dam of eternal damnation, if I should fail. That's a lot of responsibility for much-smaller-now shoulders. Time and space seemed to bend, in awe of the very scene greeting its sight apparatuses. All was hinging on this very moment, as I glared at the yellow horse thingy. She blinked. Hah! Success! I win the staring contest! Now I could finally say I won a staring contest with a pegasus when I was a bird made out of fire. Problem is, if I ever told anybody that, they'd assume I found the world's biggest batch of acid and took it all at once. Okay, enough fun and games. I flapped over to the edge of the bed, and sunk my talons into the frame, trying to get comfortable, waiting for Twilight to make the introductions. "Well... okay then. This is the phoenix I was telling you about, Fluttershy." Well, that would have to do. Curse me for landing such an incompetent translator. My lawyer would hear about this! There was another long moment of silence. This was getting old fast. I adjusted my talons a few more times, trying to get comfy. I missed feet. Fluttershy let out a soft "hmm", and outstretched one of her wings. I fluttered over to her wing, and perched on it. It fit perfectly. Well that's one problem solved. She turned her head and gave me a little nuzzle. I sidled over to the edge of the wing closest to her, and relaxed my neck, pressing against her warm yellow fur. I could feel the muscles beneath her coat tense, making something akin to the worlds most comfortable pillow. That was my last thought as the sleep, the kind mistress, took me into her loving embrace. Sweet Apple FamilyThe Suffering Okay. Just like we learned in camping, should one of us get separated or run into something dangerous. Stop. Stop, think, observe, plan. Well I'm being held down, so I can't really stop anything, as I'm perfectly stationary. Think. I think I'm lucky to be alive. I think somebody's holding me down and trying to rob me. I think that today sucks. Observe. The guy had his left knee pushing into my gut, the other leg was in a kneeling position to keep him balanced. There were two unconscious guys near to me, one with a crowbar, unfortunately out of reach. The end of the alleyway was to my left side. The only one conscious was on my right. Plan... I was drawing blanks here. Maybe if the guy was unarmed, I held a chance. But I wasn't as lucky. He grabbed my collar and forced me up against the wall, back to him, and started to pat me down. After finding nothing in my back pockets, he spun me around, one hand starting patting down my front pockets. Time to wing it, I suppose. I kicked him meekly in the shin. He turned his head up to face me. "You're stupid enough to kick somebody holding a gun up against your head, girl? Your family must be so proud to have such a ret-" He reeled back, having received an eye full of spit. I'd teach that asshole to call somebody that. He looked back, only to take my forehead to the face. He fell to the ground, and I scrambled for the crowbar. With that, he stopped his momentary daze and once again, pointed his gun at me. Unfortunately for him, that was about the moment I swung my crowbar into is hand, sending the gun flying. But in the fury, and in the panic, my body moved on its own. I brought my foot down on his throat. He started making choking noises, clutching at his throat. His eyes full of surprise, mine full of panic. I backed up, dropping my weapon. I backed out of the alleyway, and shut my eyes, trying to avoid what just happened. I... I had just... Had I? I almost wanted to check, but the adrenaline was wearing off. I fell to my knees, and shut my eyes tightly. I heard a pain, a sudden pain in my chest, and then everything went black. ****** All was dark, all was quiet. I peered around, trying to gauge my surroundings. I seemed to be in an unnaturally large room, something akin to one of those large bedrooms in colleges where you shove bunch of teens and hope for the best. This belief was further brought on with the gentle snores surrounding me. I noticed my talons were still clutched around the wing of that yellow one. What was her name again? Flitter-something? I lay there for a minute, trying to remember, before another name appeared in my mind. Cynthia. Oh god, what must she be thinking, me just bursting in flames and disappearing. I hope she didn't blame herself, thinking the ritual had brought it on me. And she was all that way over in her world, doing god knows what. Because that's how it is now. I can't write this off as some dream, or some nightmare. This was real. I was stuck in a world full of magic and vibrant colors, and she was trapped in a cold, barren world. This wasn't fair in the slightest. How was it me, the kid fucked up severely in the head, that was either in a state of rage, numb to the world, or an annoying little immature brat was stuck in a colorful world of magic and flight, when an amazing person like her, funny, happy, a thrill to be with, was stuck in the cruel, cold world I had once identified as home? The thought of such made my blood boil. I heard a little squeak, and looked over to see the pegasus' face contorted with pain. I looked down to see my feathers were ablaze, and my feet having a gentle red tint, like dying coals. I hopped off her, and her face went back into a relaxed state. I had hurt a creature that had done nothing wrong to me now. Why was I chosen to go here? I fluttered over to the window, letting a soft beam of moonlight into the room, and managed to get it open. I took a slow breath as a slight breeze caressed my face, and took off into the night. The Nightmare Begins"Are you sure about this, Cynthia?" I asked tepidly, shifting my position nervously. "Are you gonna chicken out already? We haven't even begun." Cynthia smirked. "It's not that, it's just... Never mind, let's do this." "Man up and join hands then." She replied with a little laugh, holding her hands out towards me. Urgh... "Something's not right." Cynthia paused. "You alright?" I nodded slowly, feeling strangely drained. Cynthia blinked hard at me. "Uh, unless I'm starting to see things... You're glowing." Glowing? Seems legit. My head... "Yeah, glowing." She responded, looking a bit spooked. "You're glowing red." I looked down at my hands. My god. I was glowing. I scrambled back, and felt a sharp pain in legs. I ended up falling right on my back. Cynthia was just sitting there, a shocked look on her face. My whole body exploded in pain. It felt like I was slowly being dissolved, in the most painful way possible. Then came the scream. I drew in a ragged breath, and looked at myself. Oh. Oh god. I was on fire. Ugh, it felt like my head had just been the punching bag of a very angry gorilla. This was it. I was dying. I was rolling around, burning alive. And now I was dying. Strangely enough, it didn't feel as bad as I thought it would. In fact, I felt better. Maybe I was going to Heaven. There was a sudden white flash, and the feeling of breaking through a soft sort of barrier I knelt in the pain, and saw the strangest sight. "Ryan!" Talons. My name is Ryan. And I'm a phoenix. And I'm in the middle of a nest, overlooking a forest. Well crap.
Taking InventoryAlone Together Okay, okay. No need to panic. I'm just a phoenix. In the middle of who knows where. And no idea how to get home. That's no reason to panic, right? ... Right? Okay. Calm down. Remember what the survival class told you. S.T.O.P. I forgot what s stood for. Okay, must not be important then, right? T? Uh, terrain? Terabyte? Terminator? Terminator might be helpful here, but I doubt I can summon him. O, observe. Okay. I'm a human who burned to death and now I'm a bird inside a large nest. P. P stand for... People? Are there any people here? A quick look over the nest to the quite large fall told me I might not find out for quite a while. I mean, I've had some vivid dreams, but this takes the cake. And the rest of the dessert table. Wait, dream? That's it! I'm still in bed, waiting for the day I get to spend hanging out with Cynthia. So what? I close my eyes and wake up? Worth a try. ... Well unless my room is now filled with giant twigs, it didn't work. Crap. The only other solution I could think of was hurtling myself off the nest to see if it could wake me up. But... that didn't sound like such a great idea. Especially since I kinda couldn't fly onto the side of the nest. And I was too short to see over at what I would be falling at anyways. Oh god, it's fifth grade all over. All we need now are three guys to pants half the school. Then again, I'm a freakin phoenix. I could live out this dream, and then wake up when everything was normal. I hear a soft rustling of twigs as something large lands next to me. I turn around to view the mothership herself, holding a bundle of worms in her mouth. She proceeded to lean toward me, worms being turned into a pulp in her mouth. Feeding time. I take it back, this isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. ********** "Ryan?" "Oh god, why did this happen?" "This is all my fault..." ... "Hey, wait a minute, the flames are dying down." ... "Where is his body?" Cynthia looked upon a strange scene. On the floor, where seconds ago lay her friend, was a burn mark where his body was. But he was gone. There weren't even ashes... Why was she thinking about such trivial things? Her friend just burnt to death for Christ's sake! Strangely though, the flames had not spread. In fact, all but one patch remained. Wait, this wasn't a patch of flames, it was something solid. Cynthia, still in a state of shock, hoping to find something to explain what had just happened. What she found was a feather. A fire-red feather. ********** Well that was disgusting. Let's not revisit that. Anyways, back to the trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. My previous statements still held true. I was a baby phoenix in a giant nest. The mother phoenix had proven it. I had a red and yellow... broken thing laying near me. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an egg. Like what a baby bird would hatch out of. So does that mean- No, this is just a dream. a really vivid dream. I'm sticking to that story. Anyways. There were other red and yellow eggs in the nest, all jumbled together. I counted three. So, my dream self had siblings. That was... interesting. I had never had siblings in real life. The nest was nestled snugly in the beginning of a fork a branch was making. I seemed to be pretty high up. Makes sense. Thank god I was not afraid of heights. Well, not too afraid... So, I'm stuck up here until I learn to fly. Great. Okay, think. You took biology, how long does it take for chicks to start? Okay, birds usually start flying when all their feathers come in, I think. No, that doesn't sound right. I think the larger the bird, the slower it takes. Well, I think I'm quite small for a baby bird, and I do have all my feat- wait a second, phoenixes don't exist, why would they go with the laws of nature? Hell, I'm in a dream! Time to take flight! I clawed my way to the top of the nest. I opened my wings. I took a great leap. And I plummeted like a rock.
Light 'Em Up"Ttttthiiisss wwwwaasss aaaa veeerryyyy baaaaddddd iddeeeaaaa!" I shouted, wind whipping me in the face. I had become a phoenix, decided to fly, and killed myself all within ten minutes. Great. I closed my eyes tight and waited for the inevitable. The wind rushed through my feathers, my wings flared open, my talons gripped together. I felt alive. I risked opening my eyes. And there I was. Speeding along, just above the ground. Hell yeah. I was flying. ******** Reaching out, I felt weak, what was a feather doing in a place like this? I hesitated to touch it, what the hell was going on here? Whatever it was, I wouldn't learn anything more by sticking around here. There was a fire, it might have been reported. People could be on their way right now, and how was I supposed to explain that? "Yeah, my and a friend were hanging around for no particular reason, and then he spontaneously combusted. Gotta hate Mondays, amirite?" I pocketed the feather and stood up. "Goodbye Ryan. I'll figure this out, I swear." There was a small moment of silence, then I left. ******** "WOOOOOOO" I screamed! Well, in all honesty, it sounded more like an eagle screech, given I was a bird and all, but you get the point. I zipped across the ground, then with a few mighty flaps of my wings, I was zipping through the branches. Kinda weird I was already this agile, but then again, this whole thing was weird. People don't usually burst into flames and turn into mythical birds. Speaking of flames, with one head turn, I noticed my wings were aflame. Now that's badass. Unfortunately, while I was admiring being on fire again, I failed to notice a very solid object in front of me until I went crashing neck-first into it. A very large, purple thing. With a very dangerous looking horn coming out of it's forehead. It seemed to be momentarily stunned. So did I. This dream just got weirder, as I realized what I was looking at was a unicorn. "Ow, that really hurt!" Scratch that, a talking unicorn that just seemed to notice it was hit by a very small creature it could easily overpower. I hate Mondays.
Everfree ForestAlleyways and Airways "Ow! Hey, watch where you're goin-" The purple creature began the customary greeting, before it devours its prey. My wings locked at my sides, I trembled, and pushed myself backwards with my talons. Screw being a phoenix, I'd prefer fists to wings right about now. The creature just stared at me for a second, before a wide grin appeared on its face. Yep, it's gonna eat me. "Don't eat me, I promise I don't taste like chicken! I taste like burnt flesh! Well, I think so at least, never tried eating myself." But all that came out were squawks. I had a feeling this creature didn't speak bird. Or dinner. What an intelligent tangent I was getting off on. "A phoenix, wow! I've never seen one so close!" It spoke. So, I find a talking purple thing with a purple ice cream cone sticking out of its head, who speaks English, and has not tried devouring or bisecting me yet. This dream gets weirder and weirder. "My name's Twilight Sparkle! I'm a student under Princess Celestia studying friendship in Ponyville! Wait, why am I introducing myself to a phoenix?" She asked herself, looking confused. "Oh well, I'm just so excited to see one of you so up close. And when you're not trying to attack me and set me on fire." Fire. "Ryan!" Oh god, how stupid was I? How must Cynthia be reacting? Is my body still ther- No. I can't think like that. I'm just dreaming. But damn, this was realistic. Besides, I think this "Twilight" could smell fear. She was looking at, looking a bit awkward at my giving her the silent treatment. Well, I'm not gonna stay to hold a staring contest with a giant purple monster. With a flurry, a sqwack, and some luck, I managed to take to the air. "Hey, wait! Aw ponyfeathers." The purple creature looked disappointed at my grand escape. It turned around and began walking the way it came. Given the fact that I had nothing better to do, and was really not scared, and didn't want to see how powerful this creature was, I decided to try and stealthily follow it. Eventually the creature came across a small hut. It walked inside, a frown fixed on its face. A rhythmic voice greeted my ear-holes. "Ah, Twilight, good to see you, my dear. But tell me my friend, what brings you here?" The voice sounded deep, but female in nature. I flitted to a branch outside a window looking in. I saw Twilight, and... a zebra? Okay, we have talking zebras and talking... What was Twilight? Quadruped. Mane. Horn. Well, I guess if phoenixes can exist in this world, so can talking unicorns. I crept forward silently on my branch, trying to hear what Twilight was saying. "- and it was right in the middle of the Everfree Forest!" Everfree Forest? I crept forward a bit more. "A phoenix? That's strange, but that it's not hostile is quite a change." So the talking zebra talked in rhymes. This dreams keeps getting weirder. Twilight looked around, and then leaned in to the zebra, whispering something. I turned my ear towards her, and moved forward a bit more. Unfortunately. that's where the branch decided to end. For the second time that day, I dropped like a stone. Unfortunately, this time, I didn't find myself gracefully soaring above the ground, I found myself flapping in panic, and ending up slamming right into the window of the hut, which was apparently cracked open. I did a spectacular fly into a bottle of something sticky, and then fell backwards into what felt like a pit. I found out later it was a cauldron. Thank god it wasn't being used at the moment. I'd like to say I popped right out and said something cool that would make my spectacular fail a little more planned, but all that came out were panicked bird noises and Some thrashing about. Real smooth, Ryan, real smooth. ********* I took out the feather again and looked at it. I was starting to wonder if this was some sort of nightmare I was stuck in. The touch of the feather made me feel.. trapped. It was like I was surrounded by all sides. There was only way to figure this out. Straight up. Could this be something along the lines of divine int- ...no. That was stupid. There has to be something going on though, something I couldn't understand at the moment. But that doesn't mean I wasn't going to try. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize where I was until it was too late. "Well well well, what have we here? A poor little lost girl? How lucky for us." Fuck, I'd walked right into an alleyway, and straight into some thugs, by the looks of them. There were three men, easily six feet each. The one in front had a leather jacket that was zipped up to the bottom of his neck, tattered jeans, and a five o' clock shadow slapped on his otherwise hairless face. He looked like he had a run in with a wall a few too many times, as his nose was rather broad and flat. He had a scar running from the corner of his neck up to one side of his lip, on the other side of his face. The rest of the men were shrouded in darkness, but I could make out similar clothing fashions. One was holding a metal pipe in his hand. I slowly backed up, I didn't think I could take out three fully grown men at the same time. "Marcus, restrain her. Let's see what she has in that little bag of hers." The man with the pipe stepped into the light. He had black hair tossed carelessly in his face, reaching down to his upper lip. Brilliant green eyes shone through the tangled mane of hair, giving him the impression of someone somewhat attractive that had let himself go with a few too many cups. His face was sharply angled, and he had a sly grin plastered on his face. "My pleasure, Cap." His words flowed out like honey, but their intent was all but sweet. "Stay back, or I can't be held accountable for what happens to you." I said, putting on a front of bravado. "Ooh, a feisty one" Marcus grinned. "I think I'm gonna enjoy this." He reached his hand out for me, and I responded by slapping it away. "C'mon baby, don't be like that. We just want a peek at what you got, and then we'll all move on." Okay, think Cynthia. Observe your surroundings. I'm in a dark alleyway, I have three guys trying to rob me, one has a pipe, the other two have undetermined weapons. One is moving to restrain me, one is watching, and the other is guarding the exit. There are no means of escape. I hit the wall. I pressed my back and legs to the wall, trying to shrink away from Marcus. My foot hit something solid that wasn't the ground, and that almost knocked me off balance. A quick look down confirmed it was a brick. A plan formed in my mind. A crazy, stupid plan that would most likely get me killed. My favorite kind of plan. Marcus stopped in front of my, his breath reeking of alcohol. I instinctively raised my hands to my face. He lunged for my hands. He was quick. But I was quicker. I grabbed his hand, and twisted down, rolling down between his legs, at the same time I kicked his legs out from under him and his face had a sudden meeting with the cold hard ground. I was about to breath a sigh of relief when the boss grabbed my hands and forced them behind me. He spun me around to face the other thug, who had a gun pointed straight at my face. Shit. "Well, we've got ourselves a spitfire here." The big guy laughed. "I think I'm gonna enjoy this."
Horses Don't Eat Birds, Right?Allies and Enemies "Agh! What was that?" Twilight asked, sounding spooked. Well at least that was something. The zebra peered down at me, and smiled. That can't be good. "It seems, dear Twilight, your problem has a fix. For looking right back at me is a Phoenix." So we have a unicorn and Shakespeare in the hut. Doth Twilight know your cooketh her bird? I attempted to spread my wings and nope the hell out of there, but my left wing was stuck to my side, it appears I got something sticky from one of the vials in the hut on me. Oh, how wonderful. Twilight peered into the cauldron, staring down at me. There was a wide grin on her face. Uh oh. ******* "Get off me you friggin-" He covered my mouth with his hand, cutting off the potential verbal bashing I was about to bestow upon his criminal ass. "Now now now, missy, don't want to tire yourself out so quickly yet, do you? We still have plans for you." What? Wouldn't be being tired help them rob me- ... Aw hell naw. My struggles increased, and to make sure I didn't break free, he removed his hand from my mouth and used that to help restrain me. Idiot. I leaned as far forward as I could, and with one quick movement, sent the back of my head sailing into his nose as hard as I could. I heard a exclamation of surprise, and he brought his hands up to his nose to try and stem the bleeding. I hit him in the jaw with three hooks and he was down for the count. But I wasn't so lucky. I felt a searing pain as three bullets entered my left arm. It felt like somebody was pressing a hot coat to me. Oh god, that was a lot of blood. Oh god, oh shit, no, this can't be happening. I slumped against the back wall of the alley, holding my left arm with my right. It hurt less than I thought I would. I took a deep breath, and hoped I could still go through with this crazy plan. I slid down to my knees, and slowly reached down with my right hand. I would need the element of surprise here. I let out a quiet sob, acting defeated. The man with the gun scoffed and pointed is gun at me. "Get up girl, I'm not done with you." I attempted to get up, and just slid back down, but to a kneeling position this time. The man rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of my shirt. Strike three, you're out. I quickly stood up and swung my brick to my right side, connecting to the side of his head. He fell the ground, clutching his head. Man these guys were idiots. I planted my knee on his chest, ready to bring the finishing blow right square in the face, but it looks like this one was a bit smarter than I thought. He brought the butt of his gun to my head, and I rolled of him, he stumbled to his feet, holding his gun point blank. Shit. ******** I was trapped. I closed my eyes, and tilted my head downwards. There was no way out of this. I felt a gentle feeling flow through my feathers, like a gentle, cool wind. No fiery burning? No torture? I'll take it. I glanced a look up. Twilight's horn was glowing with a purple aura, and her eyes were closed, a small smile on her face. I glanced down at my body, and was a bit surprised to find the same purple aura was surrounding it. I spread my wings. I wasn't stuck anymore. So, she cleaned me off with magic? Seems legit. then again, I was a bird. I had no room to talk. I spread my wings, and fluttered to Twilight's back. I had no idea what was going on, and what better way to figure out what kind of twisted dream I landed in than to talk to a magical horse? I never thought I'd say that. If I ever get home, I'm swearing off drugs forever.
Full CircleDespite the fact that I was riding on the back of a creature that wasn't supposed to exist, I quite enjoyed the next few minutes. I had come to terms with the fact that I had either completely gone insane, or was stuck in some weird dream, so when I saw the fantasy of every six year old in front of my eyes, I took it in stride. There were horses of every color scattered around the town, some with wings, some with horns, and some with neither. Well so much for equality. Could you give that kind of horse vampire fangs at very least? They seemed to be be bottom of the food chain. I mean, no horns, which seems to mean no magic, and no wings? That doesn't seem fair. Twilight stopped at the edge of town, in front of a giant... tree. Okay dream, you've gotten strange, but that's a meek attempt to break me. She... unlocked the tree, and stepped inside. My first thought was library. The walls of the tree were literally lined with books. Oh, the irony. It seems I can't escape from my studies even in my dreams. Gee, thanks brain, I get the point, I need to study. She stopped in the middle, and I took that as a sign that I should take wing. I flapped overhead for a while, and finally set upon the top part of a shelf to sit on. I wish these talons would let me sit/stand anywhere, but they were kinda curved. I suppose that was for catching prey. Magical world of horses, we still had birds of prey. Good to know that. Glad my mind wasn't hell-bent on making the girliest dream it could. "So uh, make yourself at home." Twilight said awkwardly, glancing at the floor. "Make myself at home" I parroted, which of course came out in the elusive and annoying language of the twittering idiots. Speaking of that, how I was supposed to make myself at home, in a tree, as a bird? Wow, that sounded stupid. "I'm just gonna go get a friend... be right back." And with that, Twilight disappeared. Meanwhile, I decided to take a little look around this "tree", explore my surroundings. There was a staircase off to my left, so I fluttered up that, coming up to what looked like a bedroom. A simple bed, carpet, a few books here and there. There was also a basket with a sheet over it. Attacked to the side looked like a purple... thing. It had green scales attached to the thing, pointing to the side. I flew over and stood on it. It fit well. It was then my curiosity got the best of me. And you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. They also forgot to mention that it nearly gave the phoenix a heart attack. I took hold of the sheet with my beak, and with an almighty tug, uncovered something. Something alive. It took me a minute to realize what I was truly looking at. It was a dragon. I gave out a surprised squawk that I'm not proud of, and fell off what must be his tail. The dragon woke up. It stretched and yawned, blinked sleepily, and then set it's eyes on what must be prey. "Morning Twili- Hey, who are you?" There was a moment where nobody moved. Then the creature scratched its head. Oh shit, it was preparing to charge... RUUUNNNNN FOR YOUR LIFEEEEEEE!!!!!! That's about the time I realized that trying to run as a bird was about as effective as a fish trying to climb a tree. So I took wing. In retrospect, I probably should have done that in the first place. "Hey, wait!" You won't deceive me, monster! I flapped around, looking for a quick exit. There was none. I was trapped in a tree... with a dragon. I can't imagine what my brain is trying to tell me now. Getting in touch with my feminine side would cause me to be trapped in a tree with my inner demons? Good thing I wasn't intending on getting in touch with my feminine side anyways. But the idea of fighting a dragon was fun. Providing I was human and could hold a sword or something. Be in a great glimmering cave, ready to save a fair maide- I just realized that a house made of wood might not be the best place to put two different creatures that can use fire. Well, if I was going down, I was gonna get some hits back on this monster. I spotted the dragon again, a worried look on his face, watching me circle above him. Usually when I was facing a dragon, I had a weapon of some sort. And hands. Hands were good. But all I had were these feather dusters attached to my side. And no maiden to save. Heck, I didn't even have a trusty steed. Oh well, all or nothing. I was going to battle with a giant threat, I needed a heroic war cry, and I like to tell you I rushed into battle screaming something cool that fathers would tell their children for centuries. I'd love to tell you that, but I can't. In reality, my war cry was something more along the lines of: "AGGHHHHH I'MM TOTALLYYY GONNNAAA DIEEEEE" I dived. ********** "So you just found him out in the middle of the forest?" "Well, to be a bit more accurate, he kinda flew into me beakfirst." "Oh my goodness, is he okay?" "To be honest, I don't know. He doesn't act like any phoenix I've ever heard of. Or any creature in the first place. Maybe the crash scrambled his brain." "Oh my, what do you mean?" "You'll see soon enough." Twilight and her accomplice reached the Golden Oaks Library, and Twilight unlocked the door, not knowing what to expect. Well for starters, it wasn't on fire, so that was a good sign. The two ponies wandered upstairs, after seeing the library devoid of all life. Or carcasses. No carcasses was good too. The other pony blinked twice, not expecting to see the sight that now greeted her eyes. "Well, looks like your friend met Spike, Twilight." "And I showed those Diamond Dogs what for, and rescued Rarity all by myself, Twilight and her friends right behind me. Those beasts won't bother her anymore!" Spike was relaxing, laying in Twilight's bed, the phoenix perched on his tail, his head tilted to the side, seemingly drawn in by his story. He turned his head as soon and Twilight entered the room. Spike, not noticing anything, continued to tell his story. "Sure you got all those events right, Spike?" Twilight spoke, and gave a little laugh when Spike jumped in the air, startled. "Oh, heh, hey Twilight. I was just uh... well you see..." Twilight smiled, shushing him with a flick of her tail. "Good to see you two got along so fast." At this point the phoenix turned his head away from Twilight and ducked it down, looking embarrassed. Spike too, looked a little uncomfortable at this. "Uh yeah Twilight, friends from the start. Ain't that right, bud?" The phoenix ignored that and fixed his eyes upon Twilight's friend. It didn't look happy. ********* There was a moment of tense silence, Twilight's friend was staring right at me, and I was staring right back. Nobody moved for what seemed to be several minutes. This moment meant everything. So much was at balance here. And this moment was holding back a dam of eternal damnation, if I should fail. That's a lot of responsibility for much-smaller-now shoulders. Time and space seemed to bend, in awe of the very scene greeting its sight apparatuses. All was hinging on this very moment, as I glared at the yellow horse thingy. She blinked. Hah! Success! I win the staring contest! Now I could finally say I won a staring contest with a pegasus when I was a bird made out of fire. Problem is, if I ever told anybody that, they'd assume I found the world's biggest batch of acid and took it all at once. Okay, enough fun and games. I flapped over to the edge of the bed, and sunk my talons into the frame, trying to get comfortable, waiting for Twilight to make the introductions. "Well... okay then. This is the phoenix I was telling you about, Fluttershy." Well, that would have to do. Curse me for landing such an incompetent translator. My lawyer would hear about this! There was another long moment of silence. This was getting old fast. I adjusted my talons a few more times, trying to get comfy. I missed feet. Fluttershy let out a soft "hmm", and outstretched one of her wings. I fluttered over to her wing, and perched on it. It fit perfectly. Well that's one problem solved. She turned her head and gave me a little nuzzle. I sidled over to the edge of the wing closest to her, and relaxed my neck, pressing against her warm yellow fur. I could feel the muscles beneath her coat tense, making something akin to the worlds most comfortable pillow. That was my last thought as the sleep, the kind mistress, took me into her loving embrace.
Sweet Apple FamilyThe Suffering Okay. Just like we learned in camping, should one of us get separated or run into something dangerous. Stop. Stop, think, observe, plan. Well I'm being held down, so I can't really stop anything, as I'm perfectly stationary. Think. I think I'm lucky to be alive. I think somebody's holding me down and trying to rob me. I think that today sucks. Observe. The guy had his left knee pushing into my gut, the other leg was in a kneeling position to keep him balanced. There were two unconscious guys near to me, one with a crowbar, unfortunately out of reach. The end of the alleyway was to my left side. The only one conscious was on my right. Plan... I was drawing blanks here. Maybe if the guy was unarmed, I held a chance. But I wasn't as lucky. He grabbed my collar and forced me up against the wall, back to him, and started to pat me down. After finding nothing in my back pockets, he spun me around, one hand starting patting down my front pockets. Time to wing it, I suppose. I kicked him meekly in the shin. He turned his head up to face me. "You're stupid enough to kick somebody holding a gun up against your head, girl? Your family must be so proud to have such a ret-" He reeled back, having received an eye full of spit. I'd teach that asshole to call somebody that. He looked back, only to take my forehead to the face. He fell to the ground, and I scrambled for the crowbar. With that, he stopped his momentary daze and once again, pointed his gun at me. Unfortunately for him, that was about the moment I swung my crowbar into is hand, sending the gun flying. But in the fury, and in the panic, my body moved on its own. I brought my foot down on his throat. He started making choking noises, clutching at his throat. His eyes full of surprise, mine full of panic. I backed up, dropping my weapon. I backed out of the alleyway, and shut my eyes, trying to avoid what just happened. I... I had just... Had I? I almost wanted to check, but the adrenaline was wearing off. I fell to my knees, and shut my eyes tightly. I heard a pain, a sudden pain in my chest, and then everything went black. ****** All was dark, all was quiet. I peered around, trying to gauge my surroundings. I seemed to be in an unnaturally large room, something akin to one of those large bedrooms in colleges where you shove bunch of teens and hope for the best. This belief was further brought on with the gentle snores surrounding me. I noticed my talons were still clutched around the wing of that yellow one. What was her name again? Flitter-something? I lay there for a minute, trying to remember, before another name appeared in my mind. Cynthia. Oh god, what must she be thinking, me just bursting in flames and disappearing. I hope she didn't blame herself, thinking the ritual had brought it on me. And she was all that way over in her world, doing god knows what. Because that's how it is now. I can't write this off as some dream, or some nightmare. This was real. I was stuck in a world full of magic and vibrant colors, and she was trapped in a cold, barren world. This wasn't fair in the slightest. How was it me, the kid fucked up severely in the head, that was either in a state of rage, numb to the world, or an annoying little immature brat was stuck in a colorful world of magic and flight, when an amazing person like her, funny, happy, a thrill to be with, was stuck in the cruel, cold world I had once identified as home? The thought of such made my blood boil. I heard a little squeak, and looked over to see the pegasus' face contorted with pain. I looked down to see my feathers were ablaze, and my feet having a gentle red tint, like dying coals. I hopped off her, and her face went back into a relaxed state. I had hurt a creature that had done nothing wrong to me now. Why was I chosen to go here? I fluttered over to the window, letting a soft beam of moonlight into the room, and managed to get it open. I took a slow breath as a slight breeze caressed my face, and took off into the night.
The Nightmare Begins"Are you sure about this, Cynthia?" I asked tepidly, shifting my position nervously. "Are you gonna chicken out already? We haven't even begun." Cynthia smirked. "It's not that, it's just... Never mind, let's do this." "Man up and join hands then." She replied with a little laugh, holding her hands out towards me. Urgh... "Something's not right." Cynthia paused. "You alright?" I nodded slowly, feeling strangely drained. Cynthia blinked hard at me. "Uh, unless I'm starting to see things... You're glowing." Glowing? Seems legit. My head... "Yeah, glowing." She responded, looking a bit spooked. "You're glowing red." I looked down at my hands. My god. I was glowing. I scrambled back, and felt a sharp pain in legs. I ended up falling right on my back. Cynthia was just sitting there, a shocked look on her face. My whole body exploded in pain. It felt like I was slowly being dissolved, in the most painful way possible. Then came the scream. I drew in a ragged breath, and looked at myself. Oh. Oh god. I was on fire. Ugh, it felt like my head had just been the punching bag of a very angry gorilla. This was it. I was dying. I was rolling around, burning alive. And now I was dying. Strangely enough, it didn't feel as bad as I thought it would. In fact, I felt better. Maybe I was going to Heaven. There was a sudden white flash, and the feeling of breaking through a soft sort of barrier I knelt in the pain, and saw the strangest sight. "Ryan!" Talons. My name is Ryan. And I'm a phoenix. And I'm in the middle of a nest, overlooking a forest. Well crap.
