Devoran Chronicles: Fire of the Phoenix

“Dad?” I said from across the room.

“Yes, son.  What is it?” he answered as he busily worked away at his latest creation.

“How did you and mom meet?”

He sat the cloth material he was working on down for a moment and spun in his chair to look at me.  My father, Ember Weaver, was one of Canterlot’s few skilled enchanters and had been concentrating very hard on his latest project.

He chuckled slightly before saying, “That, my son, is a very long story.  Why do you ask?”.

“Just curious.  My teacher in school was reading us a book that talked a lot about something called ‘fate’.  I didn’t really understand what it meant, but she said sometimes people that fall in love find each other because of it.  What is it?  Did it bring you and mom together?”

I had been intrigued by the idea ever since Miss Lily, my teacher, had read us a story in class.

My father cracked a smile and chuckled a little.  I had been worried I was going to bother him with the question, so I was relieved at his reaction to me interrupting his work.

“Well, son, fate is when something happens because it’s meant to happen.  Sort of like how a sword or shield is meant for battle, some people believe that every person is destined to do something and they cannot change it.”

“Do you think you and mommy met because of fate?”

“Its a very distinct possibility, shortcake.  Very distinct indeed.  Your mother and I running into each other was a complete accident.”

This peaked my interest.  I had never heard the story of how my father and mother met before.

“Can you tell me the story?”

My father let out another slight chuckle.

“Of course, shortcake.”

And with that, he smiled and began to recall to me the events of that day.

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The summer wind was filled with the scent of apple blossom trees as Ember walked down the trail to ponyville.  He made this trip to Ponyville occasionally for supplies for his business.  Enchanting was a good business and paid the bills, but was hard to get a seriously reliable set of clients without connections, which unfortunately he lacked.  The business definitely had its ups and downs, with spurts of people rolling in, then dying down when fewer people needed enchanted objects.  The number of enchanted secret message lockets, moving picture frames, and other trinkets took up too much of his merchandise for his liking.  He had much bigger aspirations than making trinkets.

The trees in the Everfree forest were so eerie that emerging into the brightly lit fields near Ponyville was a welcome sight.  Even if it was mid-day, travelling the Everfree forest alone was always dangerous.  If it hadn’t been for an invisibility cloak he’d crafted for a client, he might have gotten gobbled up by an Ursa or frozen by a Cockatrice a few times.  Being an enchanter did have its advantages.

Continuing on the path, Ember walked past Sweet Apple Acres.  Ember loved farms; everything about them was peaceful, laid back, and relaxing.  Even the workers working the fields seemed relaxed, bucking the fruit from the trees.  Almost as if looking at life moving in slow motion.  The sunset breaking through the trees were sharp like daggers, cutting between the branches and trunks, yet warm and soothing.  His hooves ached and stopping to rest a while didn’t seem like a half bad idea.  He sat down his saddle full of goods and leaned up against the fence, shifting from left to right to give either side a short spurt of relief from his bodies unrelenting weight.  Eventually he relented to his bodies objections and slumped his hind-flank onto the fence’s wooden bars.  He could have been sitting there for hours, it seemed, if he didn’t have the sun for a reference of time, soaking up the sun’s rays against his skin.

A sudden sound of thunder broke his relaxing meditation, however.  Peering around, he noticed the sound came from the sky.  Several pegasi were performing stunts above the orchards, some distance away.  They seemed very out of place in the relaxing environment, almost as if they were moving much faster than time should allow.  The noise seemed to have come from some lightning clouds they seemed to be using to practice with.  One of them had dissipated in a violent burst of electricity and several Pegasi were trying to avoid the cloud’s violent bolts.  Without warning, one of the flyers began to descend in his direction, struggling a great deal to stay in the air.  Squinting to see what was causing the issue, Ember saw that the young Pegasi, a mareon an alarmingly fast approach, had managed to catch her wing on fire and was trying to put it out while staying up.  A sudden dip and she was heading straight for the trees.  She crashed through several branches, unclear of where she had entered exactly or where she would exit.  Then, with a burst of leaves and apple mash, the Orange pony slammed through the outer tree, straight into Ember’s chest.  He managed to lessen the blow ever-so-slightly using an impact-dampening spell, but it only partially cast before he was struck.  Dazed, Ember stood up, stars shooting from his eyes.  The golden-orange pony laid unconscious on the ground next to him, clearly very injured.  Although torn and battered, she wore a suit that had the immediately obvious symbol of the Wonderbolts on it.

“Flicker Sprint!” called a voice from over the trees.

“She’s over here!” Ember yelled back to them.  They came swooping over with skillful grace and landed directly in front of them.

“Oh my sweet Celestia!” a light-red pegasus stated. “What happened?”

“She crashed through the trees when her wing caught fire and then she ran into me, knocking me down.  I managed to soften her fall, but she still looks pretty banged up.  We should probably get her to Ponyville hospital.  They’ll be able to treat her.”

“Right!  Lets grab her and carry her”, stated the Pegasus.

“No!” Ember snapped.  The Pegasus jumped at the sudden force of his words.  “Moving her could be dangerous!  You don’t know if she has broken bones or something that could get worse by carrying her that way.  I’m skilled in Auras, so I’ll carry her in a mix between a healing Aura and a gentle lifting spell.  That way she won’t shift in transit”

The pegasus nodded, acknowledging the wisdom in what he was saying.  With that, Ember cast a spell that looked like a combination of a ghostly cloud and a mini-sun.  The healing spell wouldn’t heal much, but it would at least hopefully keep her alive until they reached the hospital.  They quickly ran to the emergency wing of the hospital.  The spell deadened any possible disruptions to the pony’s unconscious state.  Ember laid her to rest on a hospital bed and the doctor shoved them all out of the room before they could object.  The door slammed shut and they went and sat in the waiting room for word.  Hours passed by with no word.  Eventually, the tiredness of Ember’s travels caught up with him, and he dozed off into one of the extremely uncomfortable, but welcoming waiting room chairs.  The hard wooden armrests might be unforgivingly brutal to the elbows, but the soft, red, and thickly padded leather cushions were warm and plush.

A slight shaking of the shoulder drew Ember out of his slumber.  He groggily opened his eyes to see a brown-haired, white lab coat dawning doctor holding a chart with a suspension spell.

“You were the one that found Ms......”.  The Doctor flipped through several pages in his clipboard. “Ah, here we are.  Ms. Flicker Sprint?”

Ember cleared his throat.  “Yes.  Actually, she sort of ran into me while I was traveling to Ponyville.”

“Well, she’s lucky to have had you around.  Her injuries were severe.  She had a broken spine in three places, several cracked ribs, and various other contusions.  If anypony had moved her without taking proper care as you did, she probably wouldn’t have made it here.  And, even if she had, she probably would have had nerve damage that would have permanently kept her from flying again.  Quick thinking, son”.

Hero.  That word was certainly something that Ember wasn’t used to hearing.  Royal Guards could be heroes.  The Doctor attending this young mare was a hero.  However, himself, a lowly Enchanter certainly couldn’t be a hero.  He had just done what had come naturally to him.

“I don’t know if I’d call myself a hero, Doc.  I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Something just clicked in me and I knew what to do.”

“Well, regardless of what you think of yourself, I’m sure she’ll want to thank you when she wakes up.  If you have the ability, I’m sure she’d like to thank you when she’s feeling better.”

Ember nodded.  It couldn’t hurt to stick around, he thought.  Hopefully she wouldn’t be too grateful, though, as Ember was never quite good at accepting gratitude in excess. He found it unsettling.  The hours did not pass quickly waiting in the hospital.  All of the Wonderbolts besides the Captain were recalled back to Canterlot, but made Ember promise to let them know by letter the moment she woke up so that they could return with haste.  He agreed and they were off.  The captain felt obligated to stay regardless of her other duties, however.  He found out her name was Flaming Aurora.  Quite an elegant name, Ember had thought when she told him.

Several days passed.  Ember made sure to take care of his business between waiting at the hospital and was all but finished in Ponyville.  The only thing left was to wait on his new acquaintance to wake up.  He had nothing pressing to go back to in Manehattan, so he just waited with Ms. Aurora.

One day, after returning from a business meeting with a trader in Ponyville, Ember returned to the hospital to check on her.  To his surprise, he came to the room, but instead of the usual silence, he heard voices speaking to each other.  Rounding the edge of the doorway, the beautiful mare he had saved was now sitting straight up in her bed, being examined by a doctor.  The doctor was finishing up his exam and exited the room as Ember walked in.

“Hello,” the young mare said.

“Uhm, hello,” Ember replied, slightly sheepishly.

“Have we met before?”

Not exactly.  Although we did sort of.......run into each other”.

“Oh.  I see.  You must be the one the doctor was telling me about,” she said, now smirking a little.

“Heh.  What did he tell you?”

“Mostly just the parts about saving my life and all,” she said, her tone playful as she giggled finishing her sentence.

Ember blushed slightly.

“Thank you,” she said after a few moment of awkward silence.  “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost my ability to fly.  Flying is the world to me”.

“You’re very welcome, ma’am”.

“Uhm.....Would you like to sit?  I could use some company”.

“Sure”.

They spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other.  He told her about his travels and work and she told him the story of how she became captain of the Wonderbolts.  Before they knew it, it was late into the evening.  Ember bid the fair lady goodbye, but before leaving she spoke up.

“Will you be coming to visit tomorrow?  I’m told I will need to stay here for a while,” she said.

“Oh.....uhm.....I really do need to......well......”

Suddenly, Ember’s business ventures weren’t quite as important to him as they were a few hours ago.  He took a moment, but eventually just said “Yes”.

“Good.  See you tomorrow, Mr. Weaver,” she said, sounding very upbeat.

“Until tomorrow, madam,” Mr. Weaver ended with.  And he was off.

Their visits spanned the next few days, talking about each other’s adventures and travels.  They both found it very easy to fill the time with each other.  On a Monday, about a week and a half after the accident, Ember returned to the hospital, like every other day.  He’d been staying nights in a local inn, which he much preferred over the chairs in the hospital waiting area.  After three days, his body would have been able to take no more of those armrests.  This morning, however, there was an odd quiet in the lobby of the hospital.  Many of the hospital staff, when he walked in the door, where seemingly on edge.  It took him a only few seconds to realize why, however.  Just past the entrance to the recovery wing a regal, very tall white mare stood at the entrance to Flicker’s room.  Princess Celestia had paid a visit to the hospital.

Well, that explains the extremely on edge hospital staff, he thought to himself.  I’d better keep my distance.  He noted in his head.  However, it didn’t take long for the doctor speaking to the Princess to notice him.

“There is our hero now!” he said brightly.

Princess Celestia turned her head, her regal, flowing mane shifting sides.

“Please, step forward kind sir.  I wish to have a word, if you don’t mind,” she said in a very pleasantly cheerful tone.  Even if it was cheerful, though, this was a pony that demanded respect with her very presence, and Ember approached very cautiously and with his head slightly lowered, showing his reverence.  “I understand you are the one that is responsible for saving the life of one of my elite flyers.  Is this true?”

Sheepishly, he replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Well then, it seems I owe you a great debt.  Losing one of my famous flyers certainly would have been very tragic,” she added with a slight giggling sound.

Ember blushed a deep shade of red and replied, “I appreciate your kind words, Princess, but I’m afraid I’m no hero.  I simply happened to be there.  I’m sure anypony else would have done the same thing, if the need arised.”

“I would certainly hope that anypony would help another in their time of need,” she replied just as warmly as before, “but, regardless of what others might have done, Mr. Weaver, the thing to remember is that you actually did it and you did it without hesitation, based on what Ms. Aurora has told me.  You responded with the utmost of courage and care.  Thank you.”

“I......I don’t know what to say,” he said, trembling badly in his voice.

The Princess simply laughed and said “I believe ‘You’re welcome’ will suffice, Mr. Weaver.”

“Uhm....you’re welcome, Your Majesty.”

“There.  Now that that’s settled, I would very much like it if you would join me for tea.  There is a wonderful place nearby called Sugarcube Corner.  Have you heard of it?”

Ember knew the place well.  He often had tea or coffee there, along with one of the wonderful baked goods sold.  “Yes, I do.  I visit there quite often.”

“Excellent.  If you would follow me please.”  The Princess gave a wave to her guards, which were eerily quiet during the exchange.  The Doctor retreated to tend to other patients, and before Ember knew it, he was sitting having tea with Princess Celestia.  Many of the customer in the bakery were rather taken aback to see the Princess sitting with a common pony such as himself.

“So, Ember......may I call you Ember?”

“Uhm......well, Princess, you are free to refer to me as whatever you wish.”

“Very well.  Ember, what is it that you do exactly?  I noticed that you have what appears to be some sort of magical arts Cutie Mark.”

“I’m an enchanter, Ma’am.......I mean Princess!”

Princess Celestia chuckled.  “That’s quite alright.  Truth be told, I wish some people would relax a little around me,”  she said smiling warmly and chuckling a little, “I always feel people fear me a bit because being royalty can be intimidating.  I hope that you don’t feel that way around me, Mr. Weaver.”

Actually, Ember was terrified of her.  With one wisk of her hoof, she could have him banished.  Anything, really.  However, he felt it was better to keep that to himself and simply say “Only slightly, Princess.  However, you are quite welcoming.”

“Oh good,” she said with a sigh, “I do wish I could get to know more ponies personally.  Such is the way of a Princess I’m afraid, though.  Anyhoof, I actually have quite a need for an enchanter in Canterlot.  I could use a pony of your talents, if you are as good as I hear.  And, if you are willing, of course.”

Dumbfounded would just about cover the emotion that flooded over Ember.  Enchanter working for Celestia?  That was one of the most coveted positions in all of Equestria.  Not to mention probably the best paid.  It was like a dream come true.

“I would love to, Princess.  I only hope my skills are good enough to serve you.”

“Oh, nonsense.  If your magical enchanting abilities are half as good as your ability to save lives, I’m sure you’ll do fine,” she said with a wink.  This only made Ember blush more.  “Well then, that’s settled.  I must head back to Canterlot.  More business to attend to.  When Flicker Sprint has recovered from her injuries, I will expect you in Canterlot where I will be sure to take care of accommodations for you.  There are several homes near the castle available that I will be sure to put on hold until you pick one.  Until next time, Mr. Weaver!” And with that, she rose from her seat and walked out the front door, her guard paying the tab as she left.

What just happened?  Ember asked himself.  Did I seriously just get the best gig of my entire life?  I should save people more often.

Ember bought some pastries from the store and returned to the hospital with them to give as a gift to Flicker, realizing that with him working in Canterlot, he would get to see her all the time.  And that was worth far more than working for the princess, he decided.

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“And that, little one, is how your mother and I met,” my father said, ending the story for now.

“And your father still turns that same cute shade of red when I embarrass him,” said a voice from behind me.  It was my mother’s voice.  She had snuck into the room while I had been enthralled with my father’s tale.  “I also think its some foal’s bedtime too.”

“Awwwwww......” I said out loud with a groan, “but I’m not even tired.”

“No excuses, little one.  You need your sleep.”

I sighed and replied “fine”, then headed up to bed.  However, before leaving the room, I turned to my father and asked “Dad, can I ask one more question?”

“Sure, little one.  As long as it's a short question.”

“How did you know you wanted to be an enchanter?”

“Well, little one, I simply tried things until I found something I was good at and enjoyed.  I’m sure you will do the same.”

“I want to be a wizard for Princesses Celestia and Luna one day!  That would be cool!”

My father chuckled again.  “If that’s what fate has in store for you, shortcake, I’m sure you’ll make a great one.  It’ll take practice though.”

I pondered this a while.  “I’ll start tomorrow then!”

My father laughed a little harder this time.  “Then I’m sure you’ll be the best there ever was.”

And from that day forward, I told myself I’d do anything it took to be a wizard in Celestia and Luna’s royal guard.

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