The Prophesied Four: The Awakening

I was awakened by a pale light streaming across my face through the open window next to me. Wait the window next to my bed? There isn’t a widow next to my bed… I shook my head to clear the drowsiness from my mind. A disturbing thought entered my mind and I snapped open my eyes only to find my suspicions confirmed. The bed in which I lay had a comfortable, pastel-colored quilt, and a thick wool blanket underneath. The pillows on which I lay were made of the same material, and I doubted even Celestia herself had ever lain on something so plush. The only problem was that this was not my bed. Glancing around nervously, I surveyed the unfamiliar room. It was a pleasant shade of green, although this did not calm my steadily raising panic. I studied the intricate patterns of painted wild vines stretching from floor to ceiling. A quick peek out the window told me it was dawn. Dawn? I couldn’t remember going to bed the night before, let alone in a different  bed, that panicked me further. Turning my attention to the flooring, which was obviously expensive, and even my untrained eyes, recognized the mahogany. Next to the bed was a thick red oriental carpet with tribal patterns on it. Whoever owned this home, or mansion, must be wealthy. The carved wardrobe and golden mirror on the other side of the room seemed to prove my theory correct.
   Using my muzzle I nudged the blankets off and stepped onto the floor. Apprehensively, I approached the wardrobe to  admire the carvings. The Elements of Harmony were carved into each of the four drawers, showing the amazing craftsmanship. Two handles, made of a heavy black metal that was crafted in the shape of screaming eagles, adorned each of the drawers. On each of the sides was a painting of one of the Royal sisters’ cutie marks. On the top was a lit candelabra. The guided mirror drew my attention. Trotting up to the six foot frame, I first noticed the incredible metallurgy. On the top prowled a gryphon, with its front claw resting on a large ruby. The two sides were protected by powerful twin dragons with fully extended wings. However, amongst all of the beautiful creatures, it was the bottom that drew my attention the most. There were four ponies in obvious love, staring into each others eyes. Crouching down to improve my view, I realized the first set was of two pegusi, and the other was of a unicorn and an earth pony, like my self.
   Suddenly remembering I still didn’t know what had happened, I inspected my body carefully. My orange black and brown hair stirred in the wind let in by the open bedside window. Confirming it was all still there, I moved on to my silky cream coat, and my cutie mark of five paw prints. My cheek still had its paw print and my eyes had remained the same. My eyes are quite stunning, with the gold flecked amber irises contrasting with pitch black pupils. Concluding my physical state was in perfect condition, I turned to the thick, oval wooden door fastened to the wall with bronze hinges, I took a shaky breath, I was going to find out what had happened.
   I tentatively stepped out into a long hallway, dimly lit by sconces placed at even intervals. I walked closer to the nearest one. The candles were slow burning and a beautiful shade of ivory. The flame itself was an entrancing dancer, like a slow moving river of fire. It was sitting in a silver holder that looked like an elegant, yet handle less teacup. This was sitting in a small round plate no bigger then a newborn foals hoof. A silver vine connected the candle holder to a shield, the shield was elegant and appeared to have something engraved on it. Squinting so I could make it out, I determined it was a setting sun. I padded across the soft black carpeting, admiring the wooden walls. Glancing at another sconce, I realized that in place of the setting sun, there was a flaming comet. Curious as to what secrets the others held, I raced to the next one. This one was engraved with a raising sun, at the verge of dawn, few stars still flickering in the sky. There was one more before the end of the hall. Looking at it, I was disappointed to see that it was blank.
   Turning toward the door at the end of the hall, I tried it with my hoof, unlocked. I pushed open the door, before me lay the largest stair case I had ever seen.  I hadn’t quite grasped how high up I was when I looked out of my window, I must’ve been hundreds of feet up in the air! Peering over the smooth, dust covered railing, I saw at least twenty flights of stairs below me. Looking up confirmed  that I was on the highest level. The pieces of wood that supported the railing were curved into spirals leading down to the bottom where a rearing alicorn rest holding up the railing at each step. Nervous about the dizzying height, I began my decent.
   At first I was slow and cautious, but then I sped up until I was almost galloping. Still the trip took nearly half an hour. On the way down it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen a single line in the wood telling me where the wall planks were. A collection of dust had gathered on the steps, looking as if they hadn’t been used in years. How did I end up there without making hoof prints in the first place. When I finally reached the final flight I almost kissed the ground. I was out of breath and sweaty from the decent. I observed the room I had just discovered. The same sconce illuminated the room, they all had the same three designs and the blank one, they were all in the same order too. In the opposite corner was a stone fireplace surrounded by at least fifty pillows and blankets all embroidered with designs from the Northern Kingdoms. On a few of them were a strange animal that was like a pony, but with two antlers instead of one horn. Racking my brain, I realized these were called reindeer. Satisfied with my answer, I settled down to warm up by the fire.
   Soon after, a faint mumbling reached my ears. I swiveled them back, to better hear what was going on behind me. To my surprise a young filly’s voice reached me.
“…mom is not going to be happy about this…I just can’t believe she’s GONE!”
   The mumbling continued, so I turned to the stairs, as this was the logical place for the voice to be coming from. As I was searching for the pony this voice belonged to, I wasn’t paying attention to the window. So, naturally, I was startled when a heavy weight crashed into be from behind, sending me sprawling onto my face. I gave myself a quick assessment to make sure nothing was broken. Deciding nothing but my pride had been harmed, I picked myself up and turned around. Standing behind me was a young Pegasus filly. She was a minty green, with a darker green for her mane and tail. Her eyes were liquid silver, but she had no cutie mark upon her flank.
“oh, I’m sorry miss…?” she looked at me for help
“Sathina.” I replied.
“Oh, I’m sorry Miss Sathina! It was an accident, I’m not real good at flying yet.” She offered at timid smile. “I was crashing and your tail was the softest thing I could get to in time. Are you okay?”
I chuckled “It’s quite alright little one. Can you tell me where I am?”
She looked at me, her huge eyes staring into my own. Slowly she tucked her wings to her body. “This will take a while. Here lets sit down.”
   Angel trotted over to the piles of soft pillows and blankets. She turned around three times before settling down. The filly then gestured with her hoof for me to do the same. Once I had settled down with my hooves tucked underneath me and my tail wrapped around my side, she began he tale. “You’re in my house!” she squeaked, “We live in a Sequoia, it’s three hundred feet tall. We only carved out the bottom two hundred feet though, the rest had too many branches. Actually my dad carved it all. We’ve added our family touch to many things, especially the sconces. Our cutie marks are engraved on each of them, when my brother Blaze got his Mom hired a unicorn to engrave all of his sconces. Mine are the blank ones,” she looked away shyly. ‘Do you want to hear the rest of the story?”
“Of course.”
   Happily she continued. “Well, ok then! My dad and his father picked out this tree. Most of my dads colt hood was spent hollowing out this tree. Tragedy struck the day the rooms had been excavated. My dad got his cutie marks of a rising sun to symbolize that he would work at anytime to continue what he set his mind to. So as required, a party was thrown. The two of them were partying into the night, flying around the tree and across the sky. At the high point of the celebration, Grandpa was noticed by a Fire Spinner. He was near the top of the grass line when the Fire Spinner shot him with a line of flames. His purple feathers were ablaze, and he was unable to remain aloft. He plummeted to the ground and was killed on impact. My father was racked with grief. The whole world slowed around him, and his heart was short with an arrow of ice. Tears blurred his vision as he shot forward toward the towering and deadly plant, with a carving knife clenched in his jaws. Stabbing the Fire Spinner repetitively, his breath came in gasps as he went on for hours. When the sun came up he was fitfully sleeping, forced into a world of nightmare not even Luna could stop by exhaustion. Crazed by his grief, my father named the valley Land of the Fire Spinners. He continued to work on the house, day and night, as many as twenty hours a day. When fatigue forced him to sleep, he slept in the loft upstairs. All of the rooms were done, but the pain stacking task of the windows we pegusi use as door, and excavating the stairs, including the Alicorn statues. I honestly don’t know why he built the stairs if we could just fly up there. However, some say there was a prophecy.” Angel was barley audible as she whispered the last past.
“Two set off, Two more found,
Walk the path that spirals round.
Two of sky, one of earth, and single of spells
Ferocity of Flame, Silence of Snow, Fierce yet Gentle, Clouded yet Bright”
   The voice came from behind us, making us both jump onto our feet. We whirled around fast enough to slap ourselves with our own manes. She just continued her ominous speech, despite the adrenaline pumping through our vanes, we hadn’t even heard her approach!
“All brave and true,
All will fight, all will win
To save the fires kin.”
   Behind us stood a beautiful pegasus mare. Her coat was a gorgeous shade of pink, slowly changing to orange at her wings and hooves. Her cutie mark was a setting sun. Her mane and tail were orange and yellow, giving the impression of melted gold. This complemented her gold eyes very well. Her eyes were pained by old memories reawakening.
   "My name is Sunset. I'm the wife of Donny. He said that the only thing that kept him working, sometimes, after his fathers death were the words on the back of his mirror. He had found the mirror on one of the first days he and his father were working on the tree. It was nestled among the roots, in very poor condition. He cleaned it up, and often admired it. He swore he would build a safe haven for the four ponies. He would live in the wooden mansion until they showed themselves, when he would leave forever. The princesses themselves had heard of the magnificent carvings, and stayed for a night on their way to the Summer Sun Celebration in the Crystal Empire. I was with them, as a royal guard. I saw Dawns handsome blue form against the full moon, and was in instant love. We were married, and were happy together. We raised Blaze together, but about a month after Angel was born, he left for supplies on a dark night. He was never heard from again." Sunset gave a heavy sigh,  painted false happiness on her face, and said "Come. It's time for breakfast."
   Sunset turned and walked toward a door, which I could only guess led to the kitchen. I quickly trotted after Sunset, with my hooves making gentle thumps against the wood. The little filly fluttered around my knees. Angel pulled her wings back for landing as we crossed the threshold to the kitchen. The huge room was breathtaking. The walls were made of heavy silver stones, and floors of polished wood. However, the most attention-grabbing area was the fireplace. It was simple, yet spoke of great power. It was an arch, made from great slabs of stone. In the fireplace, was a great bonfire. With white in its center, it faded through all the shades of yellow, orange, and red. The tongues of flames were locked in a seemingly eternal dance, rising and falling, only to rise again. This was not the gentle flame from the sconces, but a raging beast. Sunset was already beside the hearth, taming the flame. Over this was a metal grate, on which a fruit tart was cooking in a skillet. The aroma was mouth watering. Hanging from the ceiling was a three foot tall chandelier. There were but five candles in the huge piece of lighting, but the hundreds of pieces of sculpted glass made it seem like so much more. The light was cast, along with a million rainbows, across the room.
   In front of the fireplace was an island made of a lighter wood than the rest of the tree, leading me to believe that it had been brought in from someplace else. It's heavy black metal handles were hammered into the shape of half circles. On the counter top lay a blue and white antique pot, filled with colorful flowers. Next to this was a silver sink. The faucet and handles were hippocampi, or merponies. I stepped foreword to get a closer look at them, and was astounded by the wild hair and perfect scales on all three tails. Looking up, I realized a short hall lead to a smaller room. Along the hall were dark wooden drawers, with the same handles as those on the island. Atop these was a black granite countertop, with brilliant golden candelabras. Bolted in to the wall above them were glass cabinets in a half circle, with wooden supports. On the opposite side of the hall were several cabinets and a huge structure I believed was a pantry. The whole first room was charmingly rustic. However, I now stood at the doorway to the smaller room.
   The doors were made of stained glass that could rival that of Canterlot Castle. This was a purple one finds at midnight in a deserted field, specked with diamond stars. It depicted four ponies I had to believe were from the prophecy. There were two ponies per door. On the right were two pegusi, one the living embodiment of fire, the other of ice. On the other was a silver unicorn, and...Could it be possible? There, rearing, on the bottom of the door was a cream earth pony with a brown, orange, and black mane. Her golden eyes were narrowed in anger. Shock crossed my face, and I closed my eyes to think.  What was I doing in the stained glass door of ponies I had never met before? I opened my eyes to get a better understanding of the doors message. We... I had to admit it was a we, appeared to be fighting an enormous blood-red dragon. It’s fangs were as tall as a pony, and could shoot fire several hundred feet. I pushed open the door, and shook my head to clear shock with reason. I couldn't be a pony of prophecy, could I? I opened my eyes to take in my surroundings, and found myself in a quant little storage room, filled with ceramic plates, bowls, and cups. Taking a closer look at the plates, I realized they depicted the same ponies from the stained glass. Each of the four ponies had two complete sets of dinnerware, including a cloth napkin and silver cutlery. This was far too much. Shaken, I backed out of the room.
   I bumped in to Sunset, as I was not looking where I was going.
 "Oh my! I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed.
 "Ah. You found the Door of Prophecy. My husband was obsessed with the prophecy. He said to never use these plates, because they were only for these four ponies." Sunset indicated the Door. "Instead, we use the yellow, green, red and blue ones. We use the tableware associated with our coat color." Looking at me skeptically, she continued, "You, however, look exactly like the Earth pony. I think it would be only proper for you to use your own plates."
 I'm sure I must have looked like an idiot, with my mouth agape, just staring at Sunset. Okay, so I was a pony of prophecy. This was a sure shock. Wow. My mind couldn't even form complete thoughts, and the thoughts that did resemble coherency were in complete denial. I swallowed before asking, "If I am a pony from...prophecy, then how did I come to be in your garden?"
 Sunset hesitated before beginning her tale. "I went outside at dawn to collect berries for breakfast. It was one of the most beautiful dawns I had seen in a long time. The blackness of night was pushed away by the break of dawn. The sun broke the horizon, it's rays giving hope where ever they went. I could see the cusp of day and night etched on the ground in a celestial promenade as old as time itself. I watched it advance over the land for a few moments before it crossed over something unusual. Praying I was wrong, I raced forward, dropping my basket of blueberries. You were laying unconscious, with half of your body in the light, and half in the dark. You were covered from ear to hoof with a thick, sticky, green substance I recognized as coming from a plant called the Golden Killer. I believe that you had stopped to smell it, mistaking it for a rose. This is an easy mistake to make, as the two plants are identical, except that the Golden Killers petals end in sharp hooks. Somehow, you had made it feel threatened, so it attacked." Sunset paused to look at me before whispering "You're lucky to be alive. You had more than twice the lethal amount on your fur. Even if they had survived, other ponies would have been unconscious for weeks. Quite frankly, I'm baffled. What should have killed two ponies was in your system, yet here you are barely three hours later, not only alive, but healthy.  After Blaze carried you to the loft, I checked on you and was extremely surprised to find you barely harmed." Sunset shook her head, mystified. "I should teach you about the rest of the dangerous plants here, so you don't have any more brush ups."
  "Of course," was my dazed response. First I was a pony of prophecy, and now I find I have mysterious powers? Impossible. But yet...how else was I still alive? I committed to paying attention to Sunset, so later misfortune wouldn't befall me.
  "Come," replied Sunset. "Let us go outside to the Land of the Fire Spinners, and let me show you the plants native to this wondrous place." She turned and headed for a heavy, but beautifully carved door that led to the great outdoors. I trotted after her, but was caught unaware by the wild beauty that greeted me there. There were huge bushes filled with berries of every color. Warmed by the noon sun, they released an aroma so delectable I instantly wanted to sink my teeth into them. Glancing around, I saw two smaller trees, and half a dozen stone arches. The stone arches were crumbling, but were carved with Celtic knots.  Connecting all of the arches and trees were heavy vines. Upon closer examination, I realized they were four vines intertwined. Beneath my hooves was a cobble stone path, which led to the two smaller trees. Promptly, I realized the trees were a hundred feet tall, though still dwarfed by the giant at my tail. Along the path, plants were allowed to grow wild. Every hue was here, along with ones I had never seen before. The flowers looked magical, with twisting stems and glittering petals. The land here must be much better fertilized, I deducted, as the land away from the tree had none of these flowers, at least not visible from my position. I was at the top of a hill, and aside from the garden in which I stood the flanks were filled with a golden grass that would come up to my shoulder. At the base of the hill, the grass continued for leagues in every direction until it ran into a thick, dark and foreboding forest. This forest ran for a thousand miles, to the foothills of the Pimeä Vuori. These were the greatest mountains in Equestria, and they touched the sky, with their peaks piercing the swirling clouds above them. The foothills were still smothered in the Paksu Forest, as were the lower fourth of the actual mountains. Toward the edge of the forest, where the altitude was too high for the deciduous trees to survive, the trees changed to the great conifers of olden times.  But so great were the mountains that not even the great trees could survive! The tops were covered in an icy blanket, that appeared to cover half of these beasts. Glad I would never have to scale such a thing, I turned back to the area I currently occupied. Though the peaks of the mountains were lost to the clouds, the weather here was perfect, with azure skies. The sun shone white hot up above, yet on the earth the temperature was warm, yet not blistering. A cool breeze bent the plants, making them bob in the wind. A flower to my left intrigued me. It was pink, and looked like every other flower, aside from the center.  It had hundreds of fang-like claws. Each was white, with several purple stripes. I had a nasty feeling that it was carnivorous. Thankfully, it was too small to catch anything larger than a rabbit. Sunset stepped up to my side, and peered at the bloom.
  "This is a Sticky Lantern. The one you see here is about ten times smaller than the ones out there." With a jerk of her head, Sunset indicated the fields. The tall grasses could obviously hide something like that. Continuing, Sunset chuckled, "Ponies almost never get caught in these, though. The plant can't move, so you would literally need to walk into the plant, and that's hard to do, as these are nigh impossible to miss. However, if you do walk into one, struggling will only make it worse. Truly, the only way to escape a Sticky Lantern is to chew your way through the tendrils. They may taste like honey, but swallowing would find you bedridden for weeks. Still, this is the tamest of the Five Dangerous plants out in the Land of the Fire Spinners. The second plant is the Poki."
  Sunset was pointing to a small ball, about half the size of an apple. It was scarlet, and was made of several thousand needle like petals, surrounding the center, giving it the appearance of a sea urchin. The ball was on the ground, and more were arranged in an odd pattern. There was a single plant every few feet, going out from the tree, in a fence like position.
  Sunset began her explanation. "They don't move, but are the most poisonous flower here. Each of the prickers can kill a pony in five minutes. The venom can be removed just like a snakes, by sucking the poison out. We keep them along the perimeter of our house, to keep out unwanted visitors. The valley holds more than just plants." Sunset ominously whispered. "Still, we have to remove them. If you had walked into one of these instead...well, that would have been dreadful. I will need to ask Blaze to deal with those. As long as you watch your step, these wont bother you. "  Moving on, Sunset indicated a bush filled with golden blooms.
  Both the flower and the emerald green bush appeared vaguely familiar. The bush itself was very thick, and the outside was covered in what, at first glance, looked like gold roses. Looking closer, I saw that each of the petals ended in a wicked hook. I deducted that this was the Golden Killer. Beside me, Sunset confirmed my thoughts.
  "This is what got you the first time around. Venom shoots out of the spikes, but this plant doesn't just attack anyone. You need to make it feel like you're going to eat it. Smelling it would do the trick." Sunset paused to think. "This plant isn't a huge concern, as a little poison wont hurt or kill you, but will sting a little. For the next two, you must read a book, as the plants are far too dangerous to keep near the house, even for security.  Aside from the plants I showed you, the Fire Spinner, and the Isen Flower, the rest of the plants here can't hurt you."
  Sunset turned, and trotted down the rough cobble stone path, her hooves making a thumping sound on the stone. She passed the succulent berries, and the carved door. We had returned to the majestic kitchen, and Sunset walked up to one of the wood framed glass cabinets, and pawed it open with her hoof. Gingerly, she took a giant tome bound in cracked red leather in her teeth. She set it in front of me. The books cover was pressed to the pages with worn and heavy gold clamps. The front showed an ornamental fern, and flaking gold spelling "A Guide to the Flora in the Land of the Fire Spinners" The ancient, yellowed, parchment was unyieldingly stiff, and I could see the pages balancing on top the others. This book had clearly seen a lot of time. Gently, Sunset turned the pages with her teeth until she found the one she was looking for. The top of the page read "The Fire Spinner" An inked image of an orange and yellow lily shooting fire was in the top right corner of the page. Curious, I read the script that covered the rest of the page.
  "The Fire Spinner is one of the most dangerous plants here in the Valley. It is seconded only by the Isen Flower (p. 394). Like a dragon, the Fire Spinner has an area where it heats up, allowing fire to stream forth, without damaging the rest of the plant. In the Fire Spinner, this area is a notch the size of a walnut directly below the petals. The Fire Spinner gets its name from its ability to shoot fire while spinning. The spinning feeds the fire, and give the petals an unearthly glow. Though appearing about three feet of height, the Fire Spinner will grow to almost twenty, and can shoot fire almost two hundred feet. Avoid at all costs."
  Sunset was checking on the food above the fire, but over her shoulder explained "The Fire Spinner is what killed Donny's father. He said that the stem of the flower turned into a trunk five feet across. That book belonged to Donny's great-great-great grandfather, who was absolutely correct. The Isen Flower is the most dangerous flower in this land. Turn to page 394."
   Following Sunsets example, I turned the thick pages with my teeth. I could smell the dust, and the pure antiquity that always makes me shiver. My fore bearers were so different, yet exactly the same. This type of thing always had me missing days I had never lived, and lives I would never lead. A feeling so familiar rose in my chest. It was a mixture of pride for having come so far, longing for those times lost so long ago. After all, sad is happy for deep people, and I am a very deep person. Blowing out air, I pulled myself back to the present, remembering what I was doing.  I had a potentially dangerous future, and I had to prepare for it in every way possible. A six petaled flower was in the middle of the page I was observing. That's strange. I had never heard of a six petaled flower before. Anyhow, this bloom looked like it had been sculpted from ice. Fragile, yet strong. Beautiful, yet deadly. New and ancient at the same time. It gave the shimmering, layered appearance that only clear ice can give.  Text surrounded it on all sides.
  "The Isen Flower.
By far, this is the most dangerous flower in the Land of the Fire Spinners. It shoots its victims with a blast of ice straight to the heart. Within twenty four hours, the victim is turned into a frozen statue. It is a slow process, turning the whole pony white, before freezing them into an eternal monument. The only known cure is an act of true love, like a kiss, or tears."
     I shivered, the terrible unearthliness of this land almost overwhelming me. I squeezed my eyes shut in concentration, trying to commit all I had learned the vast recesses of my mind. Confident that I had integrated the most vital information on each plant species into my memory, I reopened my amber eyes. Sunset had her back turned to me, tending her food with a spatula. She prodded the food several more times before nodding in satisfaction. She pranced in a circle to place the metal turner in the basin of the sink. I still stood by the back door, so she swung her head to face me.
           “Would you and Angel mind setting the table? This is a fruit tart, so just the plates, bowls, and napkins would be great. Blaze won’t be joining us, he’s busy in the Paksu Forest gathering wood. So, we will need only the green and orange sets of dishes. Oh! And don’t forget your own.”
           “Sure, mom,” whispered a voice from my flank.
           I started a bit, for I had forgotten the young filly’s presence. She must have been waiting inside while Sunset and I were in the garden. I quickly disregarded my surprise, and bobbed my head in agreement.  
           I walked toward the room where the dinnerware was stored. All of the plates belonging to the ponies of prophecy were red-brown clay and decorated with an image of that pony in the center, and their cutie mark along the edge. Curiously, at the hooves of each, a single word was inscribed in black. Beneath the flaming Pegasus was the word Strength, and under the icy one was the word Freedom. By the hooves of the unicorn was the word Wisdom. By me, was the word Innocence. The same patterns and words were lovingly painted on all of the cups, and were embroidered into the colorful napkins, which were our coat colors. The cutlery was made of fine silver, and the hilts were made out of antler. They were carved with the cutie marks.  The bowls were rather odd. They were nearly as flat as plates, and rather large. However, the huge handle was the most attention-grabbing thing about it. It rose two hoof-lengths into the air, in a semicircle. The whole piece was decorated like the plates. The wares of the family followed the same design, minus the words. To my shock, the fiery stallion appeared in both sets! Trying to make sense of this, I remembered that a red coat with an orange mane was rather common among stallions. However, coupled with the same cutie mark…made this very hard to pass off as a coincidence.
           Remembering my purpose in the cupboard, I quickly grabbed Sunsets cup and her napkin. I decided that to save time, I could put them all in her plate. I reared on my hind legs to snag the orange plate that was nestled on the highest of the three shelves. After assembling all I needed, I snagged my bundle. Swinging around, I returned to the kitchen, where Sunset was giving Angel her food. With my eyes, I asked her what to do, as my mouth was occupied carrying her dishes. Sunset placed the spatula she was serving food with back in the pan.
           “If you could just place the plate here so I can fill it up, remove the napkin, and then fill the cup with water from the faucet?”
             I obeyed, and took the cup to the sink in my hoof, where I placed it in the copper basin. I gripped the tail of the hippocampus labeled cold in my mouth, and I could taste the tang of the cold copper scales on my tongue. I could hear the icy water spilling into the cup. I yanked the hippocampus into the off position, then gripped the cup in my crème hoof. Sunset had finished filling the plate with food, and with a jerk of her head told me to bring it into the room at the base of the stairs. I placed the food and glass on my haunch, and walked into the room. I placed both, and the napkin, on the ground by the fire. I turned around to collect my things and bring them in, but to my surprise, Angel was fluttering just above the ground with my plate in one hoof and the cup in the other, as her dinner was already set upon the ground. Sunset was close in her wake. She pranced to a small gathering of the embroidered reindeer pillows, turned around thrice and settled down. Tucking her long yellow-orange tail around the wide part of her wing, she bowed her head to begin her meal. I followed her example, and curled up on a pile of plush pillows. They were the deepest blues, and the dark green of forests. They were also brilliant crimsons, and the darkest blacks. The white embroidered reindeer, snowflakes, and geometric patterns, coupled with the warm wood and the cozy fire, gave the impression of a Norse ski resort. I deeply inhaled and began my breakfast. I took in the magnificent sight of the succulent meal in front of me. There was a fruit tart with ripe blueberries and fragrant strawberries, covered in a generous portion of powdered sugar. Next to this was a large pile of honey roasted potatoes. I bowed my head, and snapped up a large mouthful of the berries. The delightful flavor danced across my tongue, spinning in a series of sour blueberries and sweet strawberries, and so contrasting it was perfect. The dish, I internally proclaimed, was fit for the gods. The freshness was so clear, I decided that these fruits must have been grown in Sunsets own garden. I looked at the potatoes, and chewed on one of the spiced cubes. It had a distinctly earthly flavor, and the spices were as grand as the ones that would have been used by the ancient unicorn leader from before Equestria. They spoke of obvious quality. The honey, however, added the dishes much needed sweetness. Overall, the plate I had been served was beyond the best dish I had ever tasted. I think. My memory had not returned, and all I could remember was the way I looked, and my name.
           Before I thought it possible, the plate was licked clean, and my hunger sated. I realized the fire was casting orange light across my crème coat. Intrigued, I gazed into the mighty fire, and thought. The contained maelstrom was like a ragging beast, and swirled in yellowy vortexes. It was powerful, dangerous, and…beautiful. Like a great monster from mythology, it disobeyed the crushing force of gravity, clawing its way toward the heavens. Sparks rose high into the brick chimney, with swirling torrents of smoke surpassing even these lofty heights. The whole world was the blue of late morning, the orange-yellow glow of the fire, and the warm summer air was beginning to creep into the windows. Suddenly, a smoke dragon rose from the flames, unfurled its mighty wings, and soared up the chimney. Despite my proximity to the fire, a cold chill swept over me. Praying it wasn’t an omen of the day to come, I turned my head from the fire place.
           From the window Angel had appeared in earlier, I began to hear wingbeats. They started out slow, but steadily got stronger. I could hear that they belonged to someone larger than Angel, and that they were also much more experienced, with a very steady rhythm. My suspicions were soon confirmed when a crimson Pegasus stallion landed on the wide window sill. Across his back was a pack of saddle bags, filled to the brim with logs. His huge wings were still splayed, as the bag kept him from comfortably closing them. He had a long orange mane, and a tail to match. His hooves were the hard hooves of all stallions. They were as black and shiny as the obsidian that forms on the sides of the fire-spewing volcanoes of Oceana. Going up his legs, the lingo berry of the fur on the tops of his hooves changed to a blood-red body and head. His wings started this color, and gradually changed to a warm, welcoming, orange. He had piercing green eyes, like the great black wolf. His cutie mark was a shooting meteor, with sparks flying all around the white trail of its path.
           He swung his head to his back, and pulled the saddlebag off of his back. He jumped from the ledge, and trotted over to the fire before setting the bags down by a copper pan. The pan was like a circle, but was bent on two sides, and gave the impression of a basket. A brass handle extended from the highest point at each side, and met in the middle with a white porcelain handle. It had blue stripes and a simple, yet elegant, design. Blaze began unloading his precious cargo, piece by piece.
           Sunset glanced over at Blaze before saying,”You’re breakfast is in the pan on the fire. Don’t forget, you need to go for supplies! Perhaps you could take Sathina with you? I need to stay and bathe Angel.”
           At this, Blaze whirled around in surprise. “Sathina?” He seemed to notice me sitting on the pillows. Suddenly, he broke into a huge smile. “It’s good to that you’re up! We were very worried about you, you know. Of course I’ll take you with me tonight.” A smile made its way onto his face, and a hearty chuckle could be heard from his mouth. “Oh, excuse me! Where are my manners? I’m Blaze.”
   Blaze turned tail, and returned to the kitchen. Moments later, he returned with a steaming pile of food. He lay on the soft cashmere blanket, and devoured his food in a mater of minutes. He closed his eyes, and let the warmth soak over him. It was like a medicine for his tense muscles. When Blaze even breathed, the fire made his coat shimmer in such a way that I almost believed he was a fire god, straight out of the tales of old. His muscles, though not soft, were lent extra definition by the shadows cast by the dancing flames. He opened his piercing emerald eyes, and rose to his hooves. He laid his front legs in front and stretched, with his wings splayed to their full potential.
           “I guess we had better leave, huh?”
           I nodded my agreement, as he began to walk toward the kitchen. Before we got there, though, he opened a hatch in the floor. It was very cleverly disguised, with the handle looking simply like a chip in the wood. The darkness of the place beneath the floor was so absolute that I could barely make out the first three stairs. I inwardly groaned. More stairs. Just…perfect. Blaze dipped his head into the black, and came back up with a metal lantern. It was cast iron, with pearly white glass. It was quite beautiful, as the sides were riddled with splashes of purple, blue, and green. Blaze unscrewed the lid, and lit the candle inside. Replacing the lid, he passed me the lantern, which I accepted. I then plunged into the impending black. From behind, I could hear the Blaze had closed the hatch behind us. I nervously continued to walk for several minutes, until my hooves hit the ground.
           I felt a brushing by my side, and lifted the lantern. Glancing over, I saw that Blaze had his hoof out for it. I placed the lantern in his outstretched hoof. Promptly, I smacked my lips together. The bulky iron ring had been very unpleasant.
           Blaze held the lantern in both forelegs, and pushed off the ground. With two great pumps of his wings, he had reached the ceiling. It wasn’t extremely high, but it was high enough that I, or any other earth pony, could never have made it. He placed the lantern on a metal hook, and closed his wings for decent. The lantern illuminated where I was far better from the ceiling then it had when I had held it. I was in a storage cellar. All around me were preserves from the garden, and large cans of other non-perishables. Mixed in were, to my surprise, were weapons. I assumed they belonged to Sunset, what with her history as a guard, but it was still shocking. There were hundreds of knives, crossbows, arrows, broad swords, scimitars, spears, and suits of armor. Most of this was in disarray, except for a single suit of armor and a sword. They were beautiful in their danger. Engravings and precious gems studded both, and a gleaming badge sat on the armor’s chest. Peering closer, I saw that in elegant script, the badge read “TO CAPTAIN SUNSET, IN HONOR OF YOUR EXCEPTIONAL BRAVERY IN THE FACE OF BATTLE, THIS BADGE IS GIVEN BY HER MAJESTY PRINCESS CELESTIA”
Captain Sunset! Amazing! I was without words.
           “Ah, yes. Mother does try to keep that suit in good condition, because that’s what she was wearing when she met my father. But, don’t talk to her about it. It makes her…upset.”
           Blazes voice, which came unexpectedly from behind, very nearly had me searching for the nearest place to relieve myself. Startled, I whipped my head around to glare at him.  But, he already had his back to me as he lifted off once more. This time, he flew to the highest shelf, and snagged two large cloth saddlebags. He had one around my back and tied around my stomach before I could so much as open my mouth to protest. He slid the other one onto him self. Blaze snatched an object, and tied it around his left fore hoof. Opening the door to the outside, he turned to me with a grin, “C’mon. We want to be back before dark, don’t we?”