The Black Flames

The New Guy

I woke up in a hospital bed.

"When did I get here?" I ask no one in particular, looking around my lavish room.

"Oh, about an hour ago." Said my doctor, appearing from seemingly out of nowhere. "You lost conciousness on the carriage ride here. Good thing they got you here when they did. You had lost a lot of blood. Any longere and we could have had some trouble keeping you alive."

"Woah." I say to myself. I've been hurt plenty of times, but I've never been this close to death. It scared me.

"Daddy!!!" I heard a voice call out. I turned to the door at my right to a red blur. Garnet had attached herself to my chest, gripping me in a tight hug."Don't you ever scare me like that! I thought I was gonna lose you too!"

Tears soaked my torn and bloody shirt. I held the small sobbing dragon close to me, speaking reassuring words. "It's okay. I'm here and I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

She gazed up into my choclate brown eyes with her big, watery, golden ones. "Promise me." She said, dead serious.

"I promise I won't leave you, my little Garnet." I say rubbing my nose with her own. A smile finally graced her lips.

"You better not." She said softly, laying her small head on my chest.

"Awwwwwwwwww!!!" I hear a choir of voices emit. I turn towards the door again to see the gang fawning over me and Garnet.

"Hi, girls." I say in a deadpan. They all stop their cooing to give me sheepish smiles.

"Hey David, who's the squirt?" I hear Dash finally speak.

"This, my friends, is Garnet." I say. "She's my new adoptive daughter."

"WHAT!!!!" I hear them plus another arrival, Celestia had just arrived. "Daughter? You can't just pick up any child you see and call it your own!" She said. "More importantly is where you found her. Dragons are dangerous."

Garnet's hold tightens. "Celestia calm down, your scaring her." I say firmly. "I now how adoption works. I'm pretty sure whatever laws you have don't apply to her."

My words caught her off guard, she gave me a suprised and almost offeneded look. "David! Listen to me! We don't even know if you can take care of a child, much less a dragon."

"Daddy, is she gonna take you away?" Garnet whispers. Despite this her words are head by everyone in the room.

"Awkward" I hear Rainbow Dash mutter.

"No, Garnet. I promised I wouldn't leave you." I comfort Garnet before turning to Celestia. "Right, your Highness?" I say with a venom I didn't know I have. She gave me an affronted look before giving up.

"Fine, you can keep her." She said darkly. The next couple minutes were filled with a dead silence.

"Weelll, if were done with the discussion on where Garnet will be going, I have something to stay." Rarity spoke up. "Now I think I speak for everyone when I say, WHAT IN CELESTIA'S NAME WHERE YOU THINKING!!!!!!!"

Her sudden outburst caught me off guard. "I, um, I was... um" Everyone had a angry stare fixed on me.

"Yeah! Taking on an army of Changelings by yourself? Even I think that's a little reckless." Dash said.

"You had us worried sick! We all thought you had died!" Twilight put in.

They all nodded there heads in agreement.

"Come on guys! It wasn't that reckless! I had armour!"

"And you still got your flanked whooped ya' varmint!" Applejack retorted. "Lotta good yer' "Armour" did 'ya."

"Speaking of armour. Where did you get it?" Celestia interrupted. "I don't remeber asking Soot to make you a set."

"I gave it to him" Luna said, having just entered. "I would also like to thank David for his involvement in the battle over Canterlot."

"You gave him the armour?" Celestia said in disbelief. "So is it safe to assume you told him to risk his life as well?"

"She didn't tell me to do anything. She asked for my help and I gave it." I say. "RIsking my life was my decision. This is my home, Celestia, and I don't plan to leave it out to dry."

I tried to sit up only to feel a sharp pain in my side, forcing me to lay down again.

"Don't do that!" The Doctor yelled. "You have several fractures! We need you to rest! Now I'm gonna have to ask you all to leave. My patient has obviously had a very rough day and needs his rest."

After a quick round of goodbyes and get wells, everyone except Garnet left the room. I caught a glance of the look Celestia gave Luna on there way out. Luna was in for some serious butt-wooping.

Garnet snuggled under my chin and drifted off into a deep slumber. I was still marveling at her ability to so easily trust me. Was I really that likable? These thoughts ran through my head as it slowly dipped, and I took the rest the doctor had told me to take.

"Well it's time for you to get going!" The Doctor informed me. It had been several days since my arrival. The girls had paid me a quick visit before heading back out to Ponyville. The newly-weds had been there as well, and they told me what had happened back at the wedding when I was fighting the Changelings. Their queen, Chrysalis, had impersonated Candence and used Shining Armor's love as means of power to defeat Celestia and break the shield, only for Shining to break from her control and defeat her with the same love she was feeding from. It all seemed extremely cliche if you ask me.

I walked out into another bright sunny day in Canterlot. I wore a suit and tie Rarity had made for me in preperation of the reception I couldn't attend. It was average for a monkey suit, except the tie was bright red and the dress shirt I wore underneath was a little frilly.

Best of all, Garnet was sleeping on top of my skull. The poor girl hadn't had a good nap since this morning trying to help the Doctor with everything from my pain pills to removing my bandages. Now I was taking her to the castle she would live in. I strode down the streets of Canterlot, breathing in the fresh air. It was good to get out of that hospital bed.

When we reached the castle the two guards halted my entry.

"Princess Mi Amore Candenza  has requested you in the Gardens" Said the one on the left.

"Really? Why?"

"We do not know. We were told by her Highness to tell you this."

"Oh, Okay." I say, confused. Why would Candence want to talk to me? Well, maybe she just wanted to talk as friends. But then tell the guards to get me?

I walked around to the Royal Gardens. After a bit of roaming I found Candence sitting in the shade of a tree.

She gave me a small smile as I walked over and sat in the shade as well. "I see that the guard has done his part. How's your leg?"

"Fine," I reply, "I can't believe how quickly I healed. The cut I had would've taken much longer to heal fully on my world. Then again, we didn't have magic."

"Apparently so. I see Garnet still hasn't left your side." Candence said. "How has she been doing?"

"She's good. She tired herself out taking to my every need back at the hospital." I say.

Candance gave me another small sweet smile. "Well I'm glad you two care so much for eachother. She obviously adores you! Not suprising really, you are quite the charmer." She said, giggling.

I raise an eyebrow. "You don't say? It's more of a curse if you ask me. I keep attracting women where ever I go. Especially women I don't want around."

"What do you mean?" Cadence asked.

"I know about Celestia." I deadpan.

"Oh... Wait?! You don't like her?" She said in shock.

"Of course I like her!" I almost yell. "She's cared for me since I got here. I just don't like her the way she obviously likes me!"

"Why not?"

"She's a fucking PONY!!!" I yell. "Humans don't date ponies! A human should never date an animal! It's just wrong!"

"Dad, what's wrong?" Garnet's voice asked from the heavens.

"Nothing important." I tell her, moving her into my lap. "Daddy is just having some girl issues."

"Oh... Okay!" She said cheerfully. She curled into my lap and resumed her napping.

Once she had dozed off, Cadence fixed me in a petrifying stare. "David do you really think that Celestia is an animal? Last I checked, animals didn't lead nations for thousands of years. Celestia isn't an animal. You should know that."

I throw my head into the tree in defeat. "I know, but where I come from there isn't any other sentient being in existence!" I say, throwing my arms in the air. "Only humans have higher thinking on Earth. Here, Iv'e lost countless times to a cow in checkers!"

"Really?" Cadence snickered into her hoof.

"Yeah! She would beat me everytime! She was always three steps ahead! She's the Sun Tzu of checkers!"

"Well I don't know who 'Sun Zuu' is, but it sounds to me like she gave you quite the beating. But we're getting off topic. Why are so opposed to getting involved romantically with Celestia?"

"I told you, because she's a pony. Sure back home I would have leapt at such an oppurtunity, but now that it might happen? It just doesn't seem right."

Cadence gave me a warm smile. "Well I can tell you no one here will think it's wierd. Inter-species relationships happen all the time here. If what you just said is true, I think your problem is just cold feet. Your intimidated by the Princess, you think that you don't stand a chance with her."

"But that doesn't make sense! I know I have a chance with her!  She has a crush on me! So why would I be intimidated?"

"Because she is the Goddess of the Sun maybe? Or perhaps because she is also the ruler of a powerful nation? Believe me, I am the expert in love. You want to be with her, but you tell yourself it can't happen."

"Fine! I'll date Celestia! Happy Now!" I say in frustration.

"Glad you finally came around." She said, rising to her feet. "You can come out know." I hear her say to no one.

"Who are you talking to?" I ask.

"Her." She said with a smirk pointing a hoof to a bush next to the tree.

At that moment a certain white alicorn leapt out of said bush, and into me. She grasped me in a tight hug before squealing out "Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, YEEESSS!!!"

What have I gotten myself into?