Oh, The Fires Inside Are Frightful...
The two figures huddled closer together. It was the middle of winter in Manehattan, and an icy wind cut through the streets. The cloaks the pair wore did little to shield them from it.
The weather was unfamiliar to them. The towering buildings and crowds of ponies, too. They took it all in with the eyes of newborn foals.
For a while, at least.
They had not come to Manehattan for pleasure or mere sight seeing. There was something in this city that they wanted, something that had taken many moons to find.
Their target was a small bookstore, nestled between boutiques and bars, art galleries and apartments. Despite its insignificant nature, the store had no shortage of customers. They would wait until there were fewer prying eyes.
They settled themselves on a bench across the street, and watched. Ponies came. Ponies went. Ponies of every size, color, and tribe.
The wind continued to blow.
A couple hours later, the time seemed right. It was only midday, but stores were closing down and locking their doors. The streets were less full.
Then the smaller of the two held up a hoof, and gestured. His companion looked.
A pegasus stallion was running up the street, in full gallop, panic in his eyes. Had the setting been less... urban, one would assume he was being chased by some ferocious beast. But the stallion's fears were more mundane, and he skidded to a halt in front of the bookstore. He wiped sweat off of his brow, adjusted the saddlebag on his side, and trotted into the store.
The watchers looked at one another, each sensing that this stallion's arrival was significant. And possibly harmful to their plans. The larger slowly shook her head. They would wait longer.
They saw through the window of the store the stallion exchanging pleasantries with the shopkeeper. The words did not travel outside, but their intent was clear: he wished to make a purchase. And after further talking, it was clear the stallion was not satisfied by the options he could see inside the store. He was after something special.
The shopkeeper nodded, and disappeared behind a curtain towards the rear of the shop. A few moments later, she emerged with a small stack of books, each one thick as a pony's leg and discolored by time. One in particular grabbed the attention of the outside observers. It was the smallest, and also the oldest. Though not all of the pages were yellowed; new additions had been made. The bindings, however, were still original. Golden wire held the pages between finely polished and carved boards.
The larger watcher drew in a quick breath when she saw the book, and began muttering to herself. She voiced a quiet- but urgent- prayer. Please, she whispered, please do not pick that one.
The stallion pointed excitedly to the ancient book.
The shopkeeper nodded, the stallion pulled out an entire sack of Bits, and a deal was quickly struck. The pair outside stayed still, frozen not by the cold but by worry. They watched as the shopkeeper carefully wrapped the book in protective layers, then passed it to the pegasus, who placed it into his saddlebag. He walked outside, smile plastered over his face, and cantered off into the evening.
The watchers stood up, and faced one another fully. Their communication was entirely silent, but understanding passed between them with ease. The smaller one nodded, and they set off, following the pegasus.
Flash Sentry breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped outside. Tomorrow was Hearthswarming; he hadn't been able to convince his commanding officer to give him any more time off. The old mule said he'd taken too much time around Hearts-and-Hooves day. Flash wasn't too concerned, since he only needed to make a daytrip to Manehattan. But then his train got delayed...
Thankfully he'd made it to the bookstore before the owner closed up. And now, the perfect Hearthswarming gift was his to give.
He smiled and started walking back to the train station. The book in question had been hard to track down. He'd first heard about it while stationed in the Crystal Empire. That dusty old library held all kinds of secrets. It had taken extensive research both there and in Canterlot before he got any solid leads, and then he had to go through a daisy chain of ponies to find out where the book went over the centuries.
Still, he thought, all that effort and all those bits would be worth it when he saw the look on her face.
Flash was so lost in his vision of the future that he did not notice at first his hooves leaving the ground. It was only when he began moving sideways instead of forward that he realized something was wrong.
Flash looked down and saw miniature clouds under his hooves. Where ever he tried to step, the clouds moved with him.
He was about to panic when the clouds yanked him into a nearby alleyway.
The alley was everything he expected from an alley. Dark, claustrophobic, full of trash and mildew. And smelling like his cider-loving uncle. Barely any snow had managed to get to the bottom thanks to the buildings on either side.
The only thing truly out of place was the two hooded figures now standing over him.
Flash slowly got to his hooves. “So, um. What can I do for ya'?”
Left Hood pointed to the bag Flash was carrying. “The book,” she said, her voice taut. “Give it to us.”
Flash blinked, looked at the book, then back up at the muggers. They were joking, right? He chuckled. “Okay. Guys? Gals? Whatever you are?” He put a hoof on his chest. “I'm with the royal guard. So unless you want to be spending the rest of the holiday season in either the hospital or a jail, I'd suggest- letting... me...” Flash trailed off as a hoof tapped on his shoulder.
He turned around and saw another hooded pony behind him.
“Book,” New Hood growled. “Now.”
Flash swallowed, but squared his shoulders. “Come and get it.”
The Hoods immediately jumped him, all three. Flash managed to buck one of them back, but then the other two were on him. They grabbed hold of his wings. Flash spun, slamming both into the walls, then tried to run. But the first Hood was already up again. He leaped forward, bounding off the wall, and landed between Flash and the exit. Flash hesitated.
And that was all the time it took for the other two Hoods to shake off their dizziness. Flash felt the tell-tale tingle of magic around his hooves and muzzle; he couldn't move, he couldn't talk. Panic began setting in again. These ponies said they only wanted his book, but what were they willing to do to get it?
The trio started closing in.
Flash closed his eyes.
Heat flared up in front of his muzzle, and Flash felt the pressure on him vanish. He stumbled back, and felt heat on his rear, too. His hind legs collapsed. His eyes opened.
A virtual wall of fire had sprung up around Flash, separating him from his attackers. They prowled outside of it, but dared not come closer. Flash blinked, and for just a second, caught sight of a strange shape inside of the flames. A black figure, similar to a pony, but made out of fire and scales. The shape gnashed fangs at the Hoods.
One of the Hoods' hood slipped, and Flash glimpsed an unfamiliar face. But the pony tightened the disguise, and the image faded to the back of Flash's mind.
A musical sound, like the laughter of bells, floated over the flames. A moment later, a new figure leaped into the center of the ring, almost right on top of Flash. He staggered back, jaw hanging open.
She was a pony; at least, Flash assumed she was. But scales covered her forehead and back, matching her silver coat, and a wild turquoise mane wrapped around her neck. The horn on her head was curved and branching, more like the antler of of deer. And her tail better matched that of a zebra or lion. On top of that, she was tall. Almost as tall as Celestia; so tall that Flash had to look up into her red eyes. They were unnerving eyes, to him. Full of warmth, yes, but there was something else in there, too. He couldn't put his feather on what it was, which just unnerved him more.
Still, the strange mare smiled at him, and spoke with a melodious voice. “How fortunate, pony!” she said. “We have arrived in time to save you.”
Before he could respond, she plucked Flash up in her magic, and draped him across her back. He let out a short squawk of indignation. And then the mare leaped straight upwards- and kept leaping. Flash's eyes widened, astonished. He looked down, and saw that small clouds were springing into existence each time she jumped. Flash looked back at the mare, and saw her face was scrunched up, concentrating. A couple moments more and they reached the rooftop.
As soon as they did, the mare dumped Flash off her back. He landed awkwardly, and got up feeling more than a little self-conscious.
“Follow me,” the mare said.
Flash glanced back to the alley. “But what about-”
The question died on his tongue as he watched another pony jump onto the roof. This stallion looked exactly like the mare that rescued Flash, but brownish-yellow instead of silver. “Hurry!” the stallion called out.
The mare turned and ran to the opposite side of the roof. She didn't even pause, just leaped over the edge and bounded away on the clouds. The stallion poked Flash in the side, then angled his head in that direction. Flash got the hint. He spread his wings, and took off after his rescuer.
The three of them traveled a good twenty or so blocks to the northwest, almost to the edge of the city. That was how long it took for Flash's heart to stop pounding. Calm now, he put on a burst of speed and caught up to the mysterious mare. “I think we're far enough!” he called over. She glanced in his direction. “Can we stop for a minute?” She seemed to consider, then nodded. They spiraled back down to street level.
This part of Manehattan was virtually deserted. It was industrial, playing host to factories and warehouses rather than shops or apartments. That combined with the holiday meant almost nopony was there to witness Flash and his odd companions.
The mare glanced around, then turned to Flash. “Where would you suggest we spend this respite?”
Flash took a second to orient himself. “I think I remember a restaurant nearby.” He pointed. “Maybe over there? Nothing too special, but their oatburgers were pretty good.”
“So long as it's open and warm,” the stallion muttered.
Another couple minutes and they had arrived. The place was just as Flash remembered, if a bit to the left. But it was open and it was warm inside. So the three of them stepped in and sat down.
The owner of the restaurant, a big pony with greasy hooves, was the only one working. He took their orders and retreated to the kitchen.
Flash settled into his seat, but didn't relax. He'd been attacked; his brain was running combat programming now. He'd even made sure to take the side of the booth facing the door. His rescuers, the mare and stallion, sat opposite him. Her height making it a bit of a squeeze. “So,” Flash began. “Why don't we start with our names. I'm Flash Sentry.”
The mare nodded. “I am called Rain Shine. My companion is Thicket Blaze. And we are of the Kirin.”
“Kirin.” Flash knew about the Kirin. At least, he'd heard of them. “I thought you guys didn't talk?”
“We didn't used to,” Thicket said quietly. “But a little honesty and kindness showed us a better way forward.”
“Right, the Elements of Harmony.” Flash recalled hearing about two of the bearers finding their way to the Kirin Grove. “If I remember the story right, that would make you-” He pointed to Rain Shine. “-The leader?”
Rain dipped her head. “That is correct.”
“So then what're you doing up here?”
She didn't answer right away. In that pause, the owner returned with the food: three burger platters, stacked to overflowing with sides of hay fries. He added three mugs of eggnog, then left them.
Thicket poked at his burger, and settled for munching on the fries. Rain ignored her plate entirely.
Flash shrugged and dug right in. “Sho,” he said between bites. “Why are you in Manehattan? I can't imagine it was just to save me.”
Thicket snorted, and Rain shot the other kirin a look. “It is true, that we were in this city for other reasons.” She sipped at her 'nog. “However, our interests collided with yours. As seemingly did the interests of those who attacked you.”
“They wanted my book.” Flash wiped off his muzzle and feathers, then brought out the bag containing it. Flash was surprised he'd managed to hold on to it. “I know it's special. But is it really worth hurting somepony over?”
Rain tensed as he took out the wrapped book and set it on the table. “Oh, yes,” she murmured. A small bit of fire briefly sparked inside her mane. Then she said, louder, “What do you think this book is?”
Flash shrugged. “I found out about an ancient book that could maybe grant some sort of magic blessing. I tracked it down and bought it as a Hearthswarming gift for- for...” He faltered. Swallowed. “For a certain somepony. It- that part isn't important.”
“I imagine this 'Hearthswarming' is a pony holiday,” Rain said. “Which, if it is near, would explain many puzzling things Thicket and I have witnessed here.”
“Yeah, it's tomorrow, actually.”
“I see.” Rain took another sip. “In any case, this book.” She gently placed a deer-like hoof on it. “This actually belongs to the Kirin.”
Flash's eyes widened, and his ears perked up. “Really?”
Thicket nodded. Popped another fry. “It's a sacred treasure of our tribe. Lost, many lifetimes ago.”
“The Book of Luck,” Rain said reverently. “It is said that writing a name within the pages of the book will grant the holder of that name the greatest fortune. Though it can also be used to create a curse, by writing the name backwards.”
Flash sat back, stunned. “That- that's incredible,” he breathed. “No wonder so many ponies want it! If word got out, whole nations would go to war just to get their hands on this book.”
“Exactly.” Thicket reached over and began taking hayfries from Rain's plate. “That's one more reason why you should give us the book.”
Rain leaned forward, resting her chin on her hooves. “Indeed, the book will be safest with the Kirin. But. There are already malevolent forces trying to take it. Can you recall anything, Flash Sentry, anything at all about the ones that attacked you?”
Flash thought as hard as he could. Though he was still distracted by what Rain had said about the book, he did his best to replay the events in the alley. Starting from the moment he'd been kidnapped by clouds, all the way up until Thicket created that fire barrier. There was something; Flash could feel it just out of reach. Something about the ponies who attacked him. They'd used magic, so they must've been unicorns. He did seem to remember seeing a horn when-
Flash blinked. Nah, that wasn't right. His memories must've been playing tricks on him. Or maybe they are, his brain whispered. He looked at Rain and Thicket with greater suspicion.
“Why do you want the book, anyway?” he demanded. “You said that it's yours, but if that's the case, why did you only come get it now?”
Rain sighed. “We have only just managed to find it. We Kirin were isolated for many years, even before we silenced ourselves.”
“Yeah, okay. That's fair,” Flash said. “But still-”
The bell above the restaurant door chimed.
Flash looked over. His throat closed up.
“What?” Thicket asked. “What's the matter?”
Flash swallowed. “I remembered something.”
“Oh?”
“The ponies that attacked me? They weren't ponies.” Flash locked eyes with Rain. “They cast spells and manipulated clouds, and they weren't alicorns. I caught a glimpse of one under the hood.” He hesitated, but only briefly. “They were Kirin.”
Rain's expression remained neutral, save for a slight head tilt. “You are certain of that?”
Flash nodded. “As certain as I am that the three of them just walked into this restaurant.”
Thicket's eyes widened, and he snapped his head around. The kirin muttered a curse. “Now what do we do?”
Flash reached into his saddlebag and pulled out his coin pouch. He dropped a few Bits onto the table, picked up the book, and stood up. “Now,” he said, “We leave.”
But the hooded figures stood in their way.
Rain and Thicket got up, and stood next to Flash.
Three against three.
“Take off your cloaks,” Rain said, voice like stone. The three did nothing. Rain's eyes flashed white-hot. “I said take them off!”
A moment passed.
Their adversaries, almost as one, removed the hoods.
Flash exhaled sharply.
He was right.
Staring back at them were three kirin. The one on the left was a dark teal mare with a tan mane. In the middle, a sickly green stallion with olive-gold scales. And on the right, another mare with a strikingly dark blue coat that contrasted against a mustard-yellow mane.
“Bog Glare. Moss Ember. Midnight Burn.” Rain addressed them each in turn. “Stand down and go home.”
They exchanged looks. Midnight stepped forward.
“No,” she said simply.
Rain's eyes flared again.
So did the eyes of Midnight. And Bog, and Moss.
Flash bit his lip. “Maybe we should move this outside?”
Thicket yelled and charged forward, tackling Moss into one of the tables. The pair sprung back up, flames flickering around their hooves, and began circling slowly.
Flash clutched the book in his wing, so tight he started to cramp.
Rain lowered her head. She nickered. Fire danced in her nostrils.
Midnight glanced at her, glanced at Flash, looked back to Rain. And then she and Bog both leaped at Flash.
His eyes bulged, and he reared up, hooves flailing. He managed to keep them back. But not for long. Bog jumped over him, and kicked him from behind. Midnight dived into his hind legs, and Flash went down. He instinctively tried flapping his wings to stay upright, and the book went flying.
Bog let out a shout, and went for the book, leaving Flash with only one kirin to wrestle. Which was proving to be one kirin too much. Remember to tell the Captain that we need more drills about dealing with non-ponies, he thought. Flash heaved his whole body up, only just managing to roll away.
Meanwhile, Rain had stopped Bog simply but effectively. She'd used her magic to rip an entire seat up, and hurled it into Bog, sending the kirin through the restaurant window and out into the winter weather. Rain daintily stepped over the shattered glass and peered out. Just in time for a fireball to fly past! Her eyes opened wide, and she swiftly levitated a table in front of her, blocking the next bout of flames which would have actually hit. Nevertheless, Rain was sent stumbling backward. Bog hopped back into the building, her skin blackened and hair replaced by fire.
The owner had by now come out to see what the ruckus was- and promptly hid himself behind the counter.
Flash continued backing away from Midnight. She hadn't turned full Nirik like Bog, but her hooves were engulfed. Singe marks showed on his coat where he'd been too slow.
His rear smacked against the wall. No where left to go. Midnight's ear flicked. Her eyes narrowed.
And then Thicket cried out.
Flash jumped, refocusing. Moss was standing over Thicket, who was clutching his shoulder on the ground. Thicket was out of the fight.
Rain saw it, too. “Thicket!” she cried out. The kirin leader slammed her makeshift shield into Bog, jumping to Thicket's side.
Midnight was momentarily distracted, so Flash whipped his wing into her head, knocking her away. He, too, rushed over to Thicket.
The enemy Kirin circled around, all three burning. The air inside the restaurant was almost unbearably warm now; only the cool breeze through the broken window helped.
Flash spread his wings, daring the kirin to attack. Rain seemed divided- she looked at Thicket, then the others, then back, unsure what direction to take.
Something made up her mind for her.
A scream.
From Thicket.
Not a scream of pain. Not a shout of challenge.
It was the full-throated roar of someone experiencing too much frustration to continue on their current path.
Thicket clambered to his hooves, eyes sparking. There was no sign of any injury.
“Idiots!” he hissed. “You had one job! One very simple job!”
The three kirin stopped, flames dying out. Winter wind immediately sent a chill down Flash's spine. “Sorry, boss,” Midnight muttered.
“'Sorry' doesn't cut it,” Thicket growled.
Rain blinked. “Thicket...” she said. Half questioning, half warning.
Thicket shouldered his way past her and Flash. “I mean, I had this all planned out from the start. How we would take the book and use it for ourselves. But no, you three had to screw up every step of the way. Seriously!” he glared at Bog Glare. “How hard is it to keep your face covered? How hard is it to not give away your tribe?”
The other kirin kicked the floor dejectedly. Thicket sighed. “You know what? This is my fault. I should've just had you all steal it from the shop this morning. Poor planning is on me. And you can all take the time to voice your opinions about that... later. Moss!”
“Yeah?” Moss snapped his head around, refocusing.
“The book.”
“On it, boss!” Moss scuttled over to where the book had fallen, and carefully picked it up.
Thicket turned back to his former allies.
Rain was glowering at him, but she did not appear confident enough to fight. Flash, for his part, was only just now beginning to appreciate what had happened. Thicket was in league with the kirin that had attacked them. He was their boss. He had only pretended otherwise because- well actually, Flash didn't know for certain. If he had to guess, it was so Thicket wouldn't get in trouble if these three made any mistakes. But they had made too many mistakes.
All that to say, Flash wasn't sure how to treat Thicket now. He was an adversary, obviously, but what did that mean?
Once again, Thicket solved that problem.
“We have to go,” Thicket said apologetically. “I hope you'll understand that we need you to not follow. And since I can't trust you to do that on your own, I'm going to give you a little parting gift.” Thicket's eyes flashed white, and then his entire body was engulfed in flames. The fire turned into a column that reached the ceiling and splashed outward, licking everything. Even after the column died, the fire did not. “Goodbye!” Thicket called.
He and the other kirin jumped out the window. Flash could just barely make out the book, held in Moss' magic. He stepped forward to chase after them-
And stopped.
The whole restaurant was going up in flames. That was most important. He looked over at Rain Shine; she was still looking shaken. “Rain!” Flash shouted. “We need to get out of here!”
She looked down at him, and slowly nodded. Rain closed her eyes, and shudder passed through her, and then she shook herself. Her eyes snapped open.
“The owner!” she called out.
“I'll get him!” Flash said. “Just make sure we have a way out!”
Flash hopped over the counter, but couldn't see the owner. He cursed. The stallion hadn't actually stayed put! Flash spun around- the kitchen. He poked his head through the double doors.
Thicket's blaze had already spread that far. Things were falling and popping and heating up. “Hello!” Flash yelled. He strained to hear a response over the roar of the fire. Nothing.
Wait.
Something.
A continuous knocking, coming from inside the storage freezer. Flash pulled open the door, scorching his wing.
The owner spilled out, coughing. “Thank Celestia!” he sobbed. “Thought I'd be safer in there with all the fire, but then it started getting hot!”
Flash just grunted and propped the other pony up. He used a wing to shield his face, and walked them back out to the main restaurant.
Rain was waiting. More than that, she was using her magic to hold things together. “Hurry!” she gasped.
The three of them shuffled over to the door. Rain's magic weakened as they went. Cinders and fiery debris dropped around- and in a couple cases, on- them. They barely made it outside when the entire roof caved in.
The three of them sat, panting, in the snow for a minute. They watched the restaurant burn.
Flash didn't have the strength, or he'd have fetched a proper storm cloud to put out the fire. Instead, they had to wait for the actual Fire Department.
This being Manehattan, especially near a holiday, those dutiful ponies showed up after only a few more minutes.
The medic ponies showed up next, but Flash waved them off. The- now former- restaurant owner needed their attention more than he or Rain. Since he was part of the Guard, they listened. He took some waters, though.
Rain was waiting for him off to the side. Flash gave her a bottle, then opened his own, draining the contents in one long pull.
“Now what,” he said after.
Rain shook her head. “Thicket has the book. He will not destroy it. But I would like to retrieve it.”
“Me too. Gotta get my Hearthswarming gift back.”
Rain drank her water. Crushed the bottle. “I am ready when you are, Flash Sentry.”
“Good.” Flash stretched his wings. “So, Thicket was your guy. Where would he go in this city?”
Rain considered it. “Thicket used to sell antiques. His knowledge of the past is why I recruited him in my search for the book. I- I believe I know of a place he would go.”
A couple minutes later, they stood on another roof. The wind had calmed down, though it was now snowing. Flash didn't much care, other than that it muffled their hoofsteps.
The roof belonged to a small warehouse, one Rain said Thicket had used to store antiques. It was supposed to be empty now. But Thicket still owned it.
Set into the roof were two skylights. Flash checked the first one- nothing. What he could see of the warehouse was indeed empty.
He and Rain both moved to the second skylight. This one looked down on a sectioned-off area that had been an office.
Inside were three shapes Flash recognized. Bog, Midnight, and Moss. Flash looked over at Rain. As much as he wanted payback, Thicket was the one who mattered. Those other three didn't have the book.
Rain continued watching them for a moment, then she turned back to the other skylight. “What is it?” Flash asked. She held up a hoof. After a moment, she used her magic to undo the seal around the skylight, then lifted it quietly out of the roof. Flash nodded. “Good thinking.”
They hopped through; Flash glided down silently, while Rain used her cloudwalking to descend. They crept across the warehouse interior until they reached the office. They hid themselves out of sight from the doors, and waited.
Inside was silent. Flash got the impression that the three kirin weren't particularly close with each other, nor were they motivated by loyalty to Thicket. This was just a job to them. And now they were waiting to get payed.
Finally, the outer door opened. Thicket came inside, shaking snow from his hooves. He tossed off his cloak and stepped into the office. “That took way too long,” he muttered. “Can't believe I didn't leave an ink and quill set.”
“You were able to find one, though?” Midnight pressured.
Thicket grunted. “Yeah. Hopefully in a minute, I'll never have to worry about finding a quill again.”
“So who's first?” Moss asked.
“Uh- me,” Thicket said. “This was my idea.”
Now was the time, then. Flash nudged Rain, and the two of them stepped around the corner and into the office. “Stop!” Rain said. The room froze.
Thicket had the book unwrapped and open on the office desk. He paused, his freshly dipped quill hovering over the page. “No thanks,” he decided. The quill moved.
But Rain grabbed hold of it with her own magic. The two of them struggled, pulling on the quill as hard as they could. “Please, Thicket!” Rain entreated. “Why are you doing this? What do you have to gain?”
“Everything!” he snapped.
The other kirin stepped forward to help their boss, but Flash put himself in the middle, wings spread. “Not this time,” he said.
Rain released the quill, and Thicket stumbled away from the book. He shook his head. “You want to know why I'm doing this?” he spat. “It's because your 'perfect Kirin society' doesn't exist. It never did! Life in the Grove sucks.”
Rain blinked. “I- I don't understand.”
Thicket snorted. “Of course you don't. But ask any kirin. We've all got something wrong with us. Why else would a simple argument practically burn down the whole village? This goes for you, too, since your first response was to get rid of all our emotions and pretend none of it ever happened!”
Rain shifted uncomfortably. “I hear you. I truly do. But- has it really been so bad?” This she directed at the others.
Midnight, Bog, and Moss exchanged looks. “Yeah, it has,” Bog said quietly. “I feel... empty. I always did. The Stream hardly changed me. Not like the others. It just made it so I couldn't get mad. It got rid of one of the only things I could feel.”
Flash lowered his wings. Something about that story felt familiar. Like he'd heard it before.
“And I have trouble concentrating,” Moss added. “I'll be so focused on what's happening, and then my mind will be fifty miles away, running through something that happened last week. Or the opposite- I stay focused too long, and I forget to eat! And no kirin ever takes me seriously when I say it's a problem.”
“I had no idea...” Rain murmured. She turned to Midnight. “What about you?”
“I'm a worrier,” Midnight said. “I worry about everything, all the time. I almost told Thicket to go away when he first suggested this whole thing. But then I started worrying about what would happen if I told him that. That seemed just as bad, maybe worse, than just doing it. So here I am.”
Rain shook her head. “I am sorry. I- I have failed you, my kirin. As your leader and your friend.” She looked at each of them in turn. “I promise. I will address this as soon as we return to the Grove.”
The three kirin exchanged glances. They seemed... relaxed, now.
Flash had something to say, though. “This isn't just a kirin thing.” All eyes turned to him. He grinned nervously. “Wha- what I mean is, we ponies have experience helping other ponies with stuff like this. And we can help you, too! I know Twilight's School of Friendship, especially, gets good results. Maybe... that could be a place to start?”
Rain blinked. “I suppose. Yes, it could work. What say you, Thicket?”
They turned to look at the other kirin, who had been remarkably quiet for a moment. But Thicket was hardly paying attention. He threw down his quill and laughed. “I say, I don't care! Your promises are too little, too late. And now you're too late. I win!” He pointed to the book. “There it is. My name! I did it! I'm lucky! I'm going to be like a demigod. Untouchable!”
Flash looked. Sure enough, Thicket Blaze had been written onto the page in neat lettering.
Something didn't feel right, though.
Flash looked at Rain. She seemed... unconcerned. Disappointed.
“Then I challenge you, Thicket,” she said. “A simple game. I want you to tackle me to the ground.”
Thicket blinked. Hesitated.
“What is the matter?” Rain goaded. “You're lucky now. This should be easy!”
Thicket's eyes narrowed. He readied himself...
And leaped at Rain, with all his might!
Rain simply stepped to the side, allowing him to sail past her and smash into the office wall.
A collective “Oooh!” escaped from the others, Flash included.
“You okay?” Moss asked.
Thicket got to his feet, a bit shaky. “I- I'm fine. See? Ha-ha! Lucky.”
Rain placed a hoof on his shoulder, gentle but firm. “No Thicket,” she said. “You are not.”
“Bu- but the book-”
“The book has no power. It is true that it is a treasure of the Kirin... but for entirely different reasons than that silly legend.”
Flash was dumbstruck. The book was a fake? “My perfect gift,” he whimpered.
“The book,” Rain continued, “Is a record. It contains the names of every creature that the Kirin have encountered, and designates them as friend... or foe. Naturally, this status would have a large effect on those creatures, leading to the myth that those whose names were written inside were granted incredible luck. But sadly for you,” she finished, “It is only a myth. I am sorry, Thicket.”
Thicket's eyes gazed over, and his hind legs gave out. “So then... all that...”
“For nothing.”
Tears welled up in Thicket's eyes. He threw himself onto the ground. “Please! Please forgive me, My Empress!”
The other kirin quickly followed his example, prostrating themselves on the dirty warehouse floor. Rain hesitated a minute, and Flash wondered what she would do.
Finally, she said, “Up.” The kirin rose, looking at their hooves in shame. “As the empress of the Kirin, I have decided your fate. You...”
The pause continued. One by one, the kirin looked up. Rain met their gaze.
And she smiled. “Will go home. After I return, you and any others with similar problems will be sent to this 'Friendship School', as long as the ponies of Equestria allow it.”
The four kirin looked at one another, aghast. “Th-thank you!” Midnight squeaked.
“I wasn't finished,” Rain admonished. “Following your time in the school, you shall be assigned charity work here in the city. You did all put ponies in danger, in addition to your treasonous behavior.”
“Even so, Imperial Majesty,” Bog said. “You are very kind to us.”
Flash agreed. Maybe too kind.
Rain sighed. “You acted out of desperation and pain, not malice. My Kirin have suffered enough.
“No longer.”
Hours later, and natural light had long since faded from the sky. Because it was Manehattan, the soft glow of electric lights still permeated.
Flash and Rain Shine were at the train station. They waved goodbye to the train headed back to the Peaks of Peril, carrying four very relieved kirin.
When it was out of sight, Rain turned to Flash. “I would like to thank you again,” she said, “For your help recovering this.” She raised up the Book of Luck.
“Uh- you're welcome,” Flash said.
“Even without any power, it is one of our greatest historical texts.” Rain smiled.
Flash didn't feel like smiling. He let out a dejected sigh. “I know. And that's what would've made it perfect.”
Rain frowned. She gestured to a bench situated away from the tracks, and the two of them sat down. “Explain to me the significance of this 'perfect gift',” she asked gently.
Flash sighed again. “It's Hearthswarming. When we celebrate the unity of the three tribes by giving gifts to the ponies we care about.”
“So then, you wanted this book to give to a very special pony?”
Now Flash smiled, thinking about her. “You could say that. I first met her not long after she became a princess. Twilight Sparkle. She's probably the most amazing pony in all of Equestria. I've wanted to be her special somepony ever since that day in the Crystal Empire, when we bumped into each other.” He thought back. “She seemed so flustered. I thought there might be a spark. But,” he sighed. “Nothing ever happened. There's- there's nothing between us. And if I'm honest? I can't imagine there ever will be. I'm just a guard. She's now the ruler of the whole nation. Never gonna happen.”
He was silent for a moment. Another train- not his- pulled up to the station with a hiss.
“But?” Rain prodded.
“But,” Flash continued, “I still want to get Twilight a gift. I've come all this way, and... I still consider her a friend.”
Rain tilted her head, thinking. And then she levitated out the book. Very carefully, she re-wrapped it.
And then she placed it into Flash's saddlebag.
Flash blinked. “What are you doing?”
Rain smiled. “A gift to your princess, from the both of us. Supplied thoughtfully by a friend; give her this book as a token of peace between ponies and kirin.”
“I- thank you!” Flash exclaimed. “I don't- I can't- how can I repay you?”
Rain shook her head. “I am still within your debt, Flash Sentry. Were it not for your help, my Kirin would have continued to suffer in true silence. A curse of our own making, passed on to even the next generation.” She got up off the bench. “Before we part ways, would you like to know a secret?”
Flash, too, got up. His train was coming next. “I guess?”
Rain smiled, and leaned down. She tapped him on the shoulder with her horn, and a feeling of warmth flooded through him. She straightened back up. “Everything I told Thicket was true. The book has no power. And it is a record of the Kirin's allies, as well as out enemies.
“But I did not tell him everything. As Empress of the Kirin, I have the ability to grant the blessing he was seeking. Just not to a kirin. One of the strange quirks of magic.”
“Huh.” Flash adjusted his bag, tightening it just right. “That's neat.”
“Yes, Flash Sentry.” Rain Shine walked with him to the edge of the platform. He stepped over the gap, onto the train to Canterlot. “I'm telling you this, because you will need to add your name to the book before giving it to Princess Twilight.”
Flash paused. Turned around. “You mean-”
She nodded.
Flash blinked. Felt a surge of confidence. “Well.” he puffed out his chest. “You know, I've always had a thing for taller mares.”
That unnerving something else returned to Rain's eyes. Her smile became a smirk. “For that,” she said, “You'll need more than luck.”
Happy Hearthswarming!
运气
