Will of Fire

Chapter 5 - In the jungle

By: TheXIIILightning

"Since Fluttershy is here again, would you care to tell us what in the hay happened?" Rainbow Dash was getting a bit anxious.

After some good 5 minutes of begging, we finally got Fluttershy to come down from that bookshelf. Well, Twilight levitate her down, but that's beside the point. The Pegasus is in the ground again, shaking with nerves. At least Rarity's tea seems to be calming her down, so there's nothing to worry about.

"Is there anything else you need dearie? I'm sure Twilight has some biscuits we could eat." Rarity was trying to calm her down.

"Umm, it's okay Rarity, I'm fine... Thank's though..." Yeah, she's fine again, Fluttershy is smiling, that can only be a good sign.

"Are you sure? Spike made some earlier, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." I wouldn't object to eat some more of Spike's cooking, but since I caused all this I won't ask Twilight about them. That would be rude.

"Well Twi, I wouldn't mind some..." Rainbow Dash sheepishly scratched her name. Atta girl Rainbow!

"Fine, I'll go get them." Twilight got up and was moving towards the kitchen, when a loud *crunch* called our attention.

"Anypony want some Muffins!? These are extra crunchy!" Said Pinkie, gobbling up 2 muffins in one bite.

"Pinkie, where did you-" "Muffin Button." Said the Pink pony before Twilight could finish questioning her.

"Muffin button? I don't have a Muffin button." She said while giving the Do I? look towards Applejack.

"Then where did I get these Muffins..." Pinkie stopped eating and looked at the pastries like they where absurdly hard mathematical equations.

"Pinkie what- How did you?" Twilight glared a bit more at Pinkie, who was now spinning the Muffins in look of civilization, or something. Don't ask me, I'm a normal pony. "Well nevermind, let's just sit and listen to Light, OK?"

The poor pony gave up on understanding that Pink ball of fur, slumped down with her head on her hooves, and magically levitated a Muffin to take a bite.

"Yeah, sure thing Twi." Said Rainbow while taking a Muffin from Pinkie "Thank's Pinks." She put a Muffin in her mouth, and hoofed the others around our small group.

"No problem Dashie!"

After a few moments of silently agreeing to the Pink pony's insanity. In a good way might I add. Everypony stared at me expectantly for answers.

"Well girls, where do you want me to start?" I asked them.

"With the beginning Sugarcube, what else?" We all shared a short laugh at AJ's response.

"Yeah, that seems about right." I took a small moment to gather my thoughts.

"It all started when..."

[8 hours before the Prologue]

Lightning's POV at the time

"How old are you?"

I chuckled at the small colts question. "I'm 18 years old. Come on, I'm sure you have better questions than those."

We just had lunch, and the caravan was moving again, it wasn't really a large convoy, it was just me, Sunshine, a small colt and his grandpa.

The poor fella got a cold back in Baltimare, so Sunshine and I offered to escort him to Windermane. He needed to get a wagon full of seeds back to his family, there's no way we would just leave them hanging right? Besides, we have business there.

This was the... Third of our 5 day route, I'm surprised we made it this far without a single problem.

Ponies say the Everfree forest is a dangerous place, but it looks like any other forest to me. Sure the weather is random and the trees are taller, there are only a few spots where I can slip through the canopy and soar freely in the sky. The rest of the time I have to stay grounded.

This was one of those times, the next clearing is a few meters ahead, when we get there, I'll take the skies again and scout the route ahead of us, hopefully we can find a clearing to make camp before nightfall.

"You know, if you're done sightseeing, i could use some help pulling the wagon." Sunshine complained next to me.

"Oh, but you're doing such a good job." I said winking to the colt, he started laughing. Sunshine just playfully punched me on the shoulder with a grin.

"Don't push you luck buddy, you're pulling tomorrow." Blast!

Better check the kid. "Hey squirt, got any more questions? Make sure it's a hard one."

That kid was a headache in the first few days, always asking questions about the places I visited, my friends, games, stuff like that. He wouldn't stop so I decided to make a game out of it.

I remember he said something about helping his family on the farm when he grows up. Windermane is a Earth pony town, so I guess they live out of agriculture.

"Well, are you going to answer the colt or not?" Sunshine asked me, laughing.

"Hum? Oh right. Sorry squirt, didn't hear you." I said to the little guy.

"Do you have a marefriend?" He asked with a big goofy smile.

"What!? No of course not! I mean, not that I wouldn't mind, I just haven't thought about it. Well of course I thought about it, it's just that... UGH!"

The colt dropped on his back laughing like a maniac, and Sunshine would have too, if she wasn't attached to the wagon. After a good minute the colt got up and wiped a tear of his eye.

"Phew, what about you Sunshine? Any coltfriends?" He asked winking at me with the same goofy smile.

"What!? N-No." She said blushing like a tomato.

It was easy to see too, she has a white coat and a blonde mane. So a blush is impossible for her to hide.

Now it was my turn to laugh, I even heard the geezer laugh in the back of the wagon. After a while he got up and joined his grandson.

"I remember when I was young, the fillies were all over me." The old guy said rubbing the little guy's head.

"Ewwww gramps!" I agree with the kid, Ewwwwww.

"Don't be like that sonny, look at them, they're obviously all over each other." The geezer said while turning the kids head toward us. Wait did he just say...

"WHAT!? She isn't my marefriend! I couldn't date her!" Ooops, I'm dead...

"And what exactly is thatsupposed to mean?" She shot me a vicious glare, not good.

"Oh boy, look at that sky. Hey kid, would you want a flying lesson?"

"Would I!?" He said getting up.

"Would yo- *Umpf* you..." He didn't even wait for my joke, he just jumped on top of me.

"Hang on!" I said before lifting off through the canopy.

I looked behind me before that, I could have sworn she looked sad, I'll ask her about it when I get back.

"This is so awesome!"

"I know right? Then watch this!"

I said before going into a nosedive, the little guy is enjoying this a lot. He keeps asking for me to go faster, to do more loops, he isn't afraid of anything. I swear, if this kid had wings, he would be a Wonderbolt soon enough, no doubt about it.

"Ready to give up?" I asked him, of course he wouldn't.

"Are you kidding!? This is the best thing ever!" He slowly let go of my mane and tightened his hind-legs around my body.

I looked up towards him, and he was doing the, I'm the king of the world stance.

Ha! What a cocky kid, I had to fought the urge of doing a barrel-roll, just to see the look on his face. Hay, he would probably like it.

Well, I'm glad he's having fun, but I'm up here as a scout, so I better get to work. I slowed down a bit so he could still have fun, but enough for me to see properly.

I scanned the area between us, and the horizon, the canopy was so thick that I could only see shades of brown, signalling the road we were taking, and my target.

The sides of a few trees and slightly greener grass, a clearing. Looks like a suitable place for a camp.

I warned the kid to grab on again, and turned towards my goal.

When I got there my thoughts were proven right.

A area ridden of trees connecting the road to the clearing. Also the sign of a small circle of stones showed this was common passage for caravans.

"Well squirt, let's head back. We have a place to spend the night."

"Aww, do we have to?" He slumped his head on my neck. At least that way, I was immune to the puppy eyes he was probably making

"You know what, I promise to take you flying tomorrow after breakfast." He instantly cheered up after that.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go then!" Wow, what a change in attitude. I guess making him go to bed will be easy tonight.

I turned around to fly back to the caravan, but something caught my eye.

I squinted, I was sure I saw something orange by the side of the road. Better be safe then sorry.

I turned around again, and flew towards that orange spot. I positioned myself so I could fly around it in circles, like vultures do with their prey.

It's WAY more tiring with extra weight on you, but it's the more effective way to spot anything.

After four or six full turns, the colt touched my shoulder.

"What's wrong? What are you doing?"

I didn't get my eyes away from that orange thing, but I slowly lifted my head and whispered to him.

"I don't know, just be quiet ok?" I could feel him nodding so I resumed my scanning.

I did three, maybe five more turns, before that thing started moving.

It was going down the road, towards Sunshine and the others, hidden in the treeline.

I started flying again towards the caravan, my brain processing everything I know about the Everfree forest.

Let's see, wild weather and vegetation. Large amounts of dangerous and medicinal flora. Home to various kinds of animals like: Tigers, Bears, Koalas, Kangurus, Manticores, Tucans... Wait... Oh no!

"Hang on." I whispered to the kid, after I felt his grip tighten I darted towards the others.

I have to figure something out, and I have to do it fast...

"There's no way I'll ever let you do that! That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say!" Sunshine was really mad at my plan, but it was the only way.

"I know, I don't like it either, but it's the only way." I said while getting my belongings from the wagon.

I had picked up my sword, it wasn't anything special, it had the size of my neck with a small handle so I could grab it with two hooves or my mouth.

"Phistng." I stabbed the sword on the ground with a swing of my neck.

"Listen. If that really is a Manticore, there's no way for us to fight it." I looked back at the wagon, the kid was telling his grandpa about our flying lesson.

"A little colt, an old geezer, and two other ponies don't stand a change against a full grown Lion/Scorpion thing!"

Sunshine didn't say a word, she knew it had to be done.

I picked up my saddlebag, a lightning shaped like my cutie mark serving as a seal, and put it on her back.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She yelled, startling me and the other two ponies. She never raises her voice...

"Sunshine, I..."

"Don't... It's just that. I couldn't stand loosing anypony else!" Oh no... She's going to cry again...

"Listen." I said again pulling her in a hug. "You know I'd never leave you."

She sniffed a bit.

"I know, but it's still hard you know..." She hugged me a little tighter.

We hold like that for a little while before breaking apart, she was smiling again.

"You're such a silly pony sometimes." I chuckled while ruffling her mane.

"I'm not..." She pouted. "And you should be taking this more seriously!"

"But I am." I held up my part of the medallion "Even if I don't meet you in Windermane, you'll always find me with this."

She held up her part of the medallion, the pointer on her part was shaped like my cutie mark, that also serves as the key slot on my part. Her medallion was shaped to act like a normal compass, as mine was shaped like her cutie mark, a solid golden shield.

"Even if I wanted to, I could never hide from this." I gave her a smug grin.

"You bet your sorry flank, that after this is over. I'm going to beat you with it" Now that's the Sunshine I know.

We gave each other a final hug.

"Remember, I have smoke bombs in my saddlebags, use them to hide your escape." She gave me a nod.

"Oh, and don't forget why where going to Windermane in the first place, we need to find her." She gave me another nod.

"I'll see if I can get word of her. If you're not there by the time I'm done, I'll send you a letter telling you to stay put, wherever you are."

"And how will you know where I am?" She rolled her eyes at me and held her medallion. I gave her a smile. Atta girl Sunshine.

I grabbed my sword and gave a look at those two ponies, the old geezer nodded approvingly, and the kid was smiling and waving at me. They heard us talking, they knew what to expect.

I smiled while biting my sword and gave the kid a cocky wink.

I cut a hole in a few branches, separating the sky and the ground and slipped right through it.

I was once again in the air, watching my... friends...while closely circling around them.

I don't know what the hay I'm doing.

But so help me Celestia, I won't let any of them get hurt!

End of Chapter 5

Well here it goes, Lightning is telling his story to the mane 6.

But it ends just before the fight, what a cliffhanger! *Trollestia*

Angry mob: You monster!

Well, I hope you liked the picture, I made it so you can get a better view of Sunshine and the medallions.

Now for the hype. *Ahem*

What will happen to Lightning's friends? Will everypony be okay?

Will Twilight ever find the hidden Muffin Button!?

Find out in the next chapter of...

Will of Fire!