Smack!

“Angel! Y-you didn’t have to hit him like that...”

Smack!

I gasped, shaken from my dreamless sleep. Fluttershy scowled, Angel rapidly tapping his paw next to her. He raised his paw one more time when I failed to rise, stopping as I spoke.

“You’re lucky you’re small and fluffy.” I sat up, groaned and stretched. “Typically, trying to assault me doesn’t end well.”

“There’s an emergency in Ponyville.” The typical shyness I’ve come to expect from Fluttershy was noticeably absent.

In five seconds flat, I was armored up, lance ready as I waited for them at the library’s entrance.

“Where’s Twilight?”

“She’s in Canterlot, remember?”

I nodded, letting out a small breath, and motioned her to lead on.

“What’s the situation?”

Fluttershy turned her head slightly as we ran, Angel riding on her back. “Strange plants have sprung up all around town… and, well, they’re just awful.”

“So… you need a gardener?” I raised an eyebrow. All it took was one glare to shut me up. “Okay, fine… where to?”

Thunk!

“All I wanted to do was sleep in, for fuck’s sake,” I grumbled, sinking my lance into a vine before chucking it across the dirt road.

The Everfree Forest had decided to invade Ponyville, on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration of course, because any other day would have been inconvenient.

“Whining isn’t gonna to help us none,” Applejack replied. She bent down and yanked out a vine from the ground as if it were a weed, only for another to spring up. “Shoot. I reckon we’ll be at this all day at this rate.”

“Well, I say we expedite the process,” I replied, glancing over at her barn. “Forgive me, I’m about to do something stupid.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

I chuckled, pulling open the barn door and setting down my lance in the center of the room.

She trotted in behind me, raising a brow as I began wrapping a strip of cloth around the length of the blade. “What are ya doin’ exactly?”

“Improvising.”

I coated my lance in a thick resin before dousing the entirety of it in gasoline. A stray spark ricocheted off the top of the blade as I struck it against a nearby metal plow, the weapon becoming engulfed in a vibrant orange flame in the process.

“Like I said, as stupid as stupid can get. Let’s see if some fire will do the trick.”

Applejack shook her head as I carefully held out the makeshift torch a safe distance from my face. “I swear to Celestia, I don’t know what I’ll think if yer right about this.”

I grinned deviously, giving a nearby vine an experimental whack as it hissed and retreated down into the earth below.

“You can think that I’m a damn genius, that’s what.”

Twilight wasn’t going to be happy about this.

It felt like, despite our effort, the day was only getting worse by the minute. The sky was split in half. With the sun hanging on the left and giving way to the moon on the right. Light blue blended with and faded to a richer violet. Surreal wouldn’t even begin to describe it.

The six of us sat in front of the library waiting for her return. In our downtime, Rainbow and I decided to have a nice, civil conversation.

“I see you never got rid of the cloud infestation like you said you would.”

“Bite me,” Dash growled. “I’m surprised you even managed to get out of bed today.”

“If it wasn’t for Fluttershy, I probably wouldn’t have given a shit,” I retorted. “As a matter of fact, I’m still finding it hard to.”

“Alright, that’s quite enough from both of you,” Rarity said, her muzzle scrunching up in annoyance. “I can see Twilight off in the distance, cease the bickering.”

True to the fair lady’s word, Twilight glided down to us not a moment after. Though it wasn’t really gliding, rather, a haphazard swan dive toward us. Her expression was nothing short of anxious, but she was keeping it together. Spike was all too eager to hop off her back, praising the very ground he stood on.

“Really, Spike? It wasn’t that bad.”

I was the first one to speak up. “Well, Twilight? What’s going on?”

“Nothing good. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are missing,” Twilight winced. “I’m under the suspicion that Discord might be behind this. That’s the only real lead I have.”

I swore under my breath. “Typical, I’m not surprised in the slightest. Where can we find the bastard?”

“We’re going to summon him using the Elements of Harmony.”

In a fantastic display of phantasmic color, the harbinger of chaos appeared before us in a rather compromised position. We’d seemingly summoned him in the middle of a bath. He noticed us in the midst of his own singing, causing him to stop and wrap a towel around the length of his body.

Why in Tartarus did the spell bring the bathtub with him?

“Twilight, my dear friend, I believe Princess Celestia told you to warn me before using that little spell she gave you,” Discord said as he tapped at the center of Twilight’s crown.

“Where are they?” Twilight growled, jabbing a hoof into his chest. “What did you do with Princess Celestia and Luna?”

A smarmy smirk formed on his face. “Why, I haven’t the faintest clue what you’re talking about.”

“Cut the shit, Discord.” I pointed my lance at his chin. “Who else would be behind something like this?”

Click.

I felt my lance melt within my grasp, forming a metallic puddle beneath my feet. “And I suppose you have evidence to confirm this accusation? I’ll have you know that I’m reformed.” He stretched one arm out to an impossible length and tucked Fluttershy up against him. “Isn’t that right, Shutterfly?”

“It’s Fluttershy.”

“Whatever. The point is, I’m innocent and there’s nothing that would say otherwise.”

Twilight’s glare hardened. “If it isn’t you, then tell us who did this.”

He stooped down to her level and matched her gaze. “Why don’t you go ask your zebra friend? After how I’ve been treated, I’m not very inclined to help you right now.”

Click.

My lance solidified once more. Off in the distance, the zebra shaman known as Zecora trudged out of the infested Everfree with her belongings in tow.

“I’d suggest you work fast, dear Twilight,” Discord hissed. “I have a feeling this will only get worse for you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Flash, I’m going in whether you like it—”

“You don’t understand, Twilight.” I stomped my hoof in the dirt. “I cannot allow you to willingly walk into the Everfree Forest, arguably the single most dangerous place in Equestria. I recognize the fact that you’re stronger than the rest of us put together, but it’s just not worth the risk.”

“I think yer forgetting somethin’ sugarcube. She ain’t walking in there alone. Yer goin’ with her too, ya know,” Applejack said, putting a hoof on my shoulder.

“But—”

“Flash, please,” Twilight said, a weak but sincere smile on her facealbeit with sincerity in her tone. “I can do this.”

I wasn’t going to win this one. Even if I kept resisting, time was of the essence. With a deep sigh, I relented my attack. “Fine. But you’ll stand by me the whole time, and I want the rest of you to be on guard until this is all over.”

With a nod from each of them, we slowly entered the Everfree. Whatever this Tree of Harmony was, I could only hope that we’d find it soon.

We weren’t even an hour in before we encountered our first obstacle. Ahead of us, a lake of acidic, tar-like water spanned across the entire forest clearing. The viscus green substance bubbled as the ground around it continued to erode. There was no way in Tartarus that it was safe to swim in. It’d sooner dissolve our skin than allow us passage.

“There’s no way we have enough time to walk around this. We’ll have to fly across and carry those who can’t.” I took flight, hovering above the lake while looking ahead. “Twilight, are you sure—”

Snap!

The gaping maw of a feral cragadile snapped shut, barely an inch under my hind leg. The beast’s body twirled in the air as it landed back in the lake, before jumping out and standing right before Twilight and the rest.

Shit.

Without any hesitation, I landed in front of them and unsheathed my lance. “Twilight, run.”

“What?” Twilight took a step back, as if visibly struck by my statement. “Flash, we aren’t just going to abandon you!”

Crunch!

“Flash!”

I let out a grunt as I struggled to remain standing. The cragadile had lurched forward, a sharp set of teeth clamping down on my lance just as I raised it. “Princess Twilight Sparkle.” I used my other hoof to stabilize my lance. “You’re doing your job. Now let me do mine, too. Let me do the one thing I do best.”

“Flash, please, we can help you.”

I gave her a pained smile as I yanked the blade out of the creature’s mouth. “It’s not that I don’t want your help, Twilight. But I think it’s about time I start fighting for someone other than myself.” I held my lance close, the light glinting off the blade’s surface. “Let me show you how I earned the rank of captain.”

In a flash, the beast dove toward me, but I was quicker. I sidestepped the hulking mass, dragging the length of my blade across the scaly hide. I grit my teeth as I tried to dig my lance in deeper. No such luck.

“Go on then! Move!” I shouted, flying in the air and narrowly dodging a tail swipe. “I’ll handle this fucker myself.”

I heaved as sweat continued to pour down my face, lurching forward and spearing the cragadile straight in the the back. It howled, spun around, and chomped my hind leg in retaliation. I heard a loud crunch as blood splattered across the ground. I could only scream in agony.

“Flash!” Twilight cried out, rushing back as the cragadile released me and turned to face her instead.

I used this window of opportunity to wrap my lance around the beast’s throat. It let out a deafening screech. With the last of my energy rapidly ebbing from my body, I shoved the blade deep into one eye. The cragadile spasmed in place, throwing me off as my lance came free. It screeched once more before retreating back into the murky water nearby. I stumbled, leaning against a nearby tree.

“Flash!”

My vision began to fade as Twilight rushed up to me. I wasn’t going to last much longer.

“I-I’ll get help!”

My head wobbled as I fell into the begrimed soil. Was this what it was like to die? I hardly felt the pain in my hind leg anymore.

“F-Flash! Hang in there, I got you!”

…

“F… Flash… please… don’t leave me…”

…

“Please… Celestia… be alive…”

I was numb, my vision black, my body lifeless. Was this it? With just one bite? I think I knew the answer to that question to that already.

I’d spent so long trying to survive on my own, and I died the moment I stood up for another pony. Was it karma, or fate? Either way, I fucked up. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to do that on my own. I just hope this made up for everything I did— everything I said too.

I’ll never forget you, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Just… h-hang in there… F-Flash.”

…

Thump thump. Thump thump.

…

Thump… thump.

...

Author's Note

After one full revision of the opening, it's here.

Sorry that it's been like, a long time since you saw this. I've been pretty busy as you can see.

I accidentally hit publish a bit too soon before additional post-editing, so let me know if you see anything that doesn't quite look right.