//------------------------------// // 5: Rise of Grahl // Story: Volcanic // by Uberdeathninja //------------------------------// The Five ponies at the base of the Smoldering mountain awoke early upon the morning light that next day, though it was suffice to say doing so wasn't difficult; none of them slept soundly at all. The hissing of active gasses and the popping of lava bubbles filled the air and reminded them of their goal: to find the Smelter Demon, the one who caused so much damage in on day, and combat it. Most of the five were confident, sure that they could pull another victory out of thin air, like most other times they'd done this. But one remained uncertain. Fluttershy quivered as she looked up the mountain, more uncertain than she'd ever been. Normally, she knew, She and her friends fought monsters, wild animals, and even the occasional supervillain, almost on a regular basis. But she knew, they were alive, just knowable, earthly things with mundane thoughts, dreams, and emotions. But what she knew, and her friends seemed to ignore, was that this... DEMON, it did not live. It did not breathe. Hell, she suspected that it did not feel. To her, the Demon simply existed, eternal and aloof from the workings of the world, a world she loved and cared for, and the demon only ravaged and destroyed in its wake. Fluttershy knew this, and it terrified her. Her friends seemed confident, and they had every right to be. They could challenge and defeat ANYTHING this wonderful world could throw at them. But they overlooked one fact; this demon... was not from this world. However, before she could turn back, Sheer terror gripping her very soul, the others took note, and expressed their concern. "Hey, Flutters, what's up? you look like you're gonna throw up." Rainbow Dash asked the shaking, pale Pegasus. "O-oh, it's... it's nothing..." Fluttershy said, putting on her bravest face. Needless to say, her endeavor fooled no one. "Come on Fluttershy, what's eatin' ya? You look paler than th' moon in a blizzard. You can tell us!" Applejack tried to console Fluttershy, but to no avail. She still shook, pale as ever and still deathly afraid of the unnatural beast atop the mountain. "It... It's really fine..." She uttered out, before being interrupted once more. "Yeah, come on, tell us! Is it the fact that the monster up there is giant and evil and totally almost killed two princesses and Applejack's whole family in a single, fiery swoop?" Pinkie Pie blabbered, turning the shuddering Pegasus even paler than before, before being interjested by their last member, Rarity. "Oh, be silent, Pinkie Pie, you're needlessly terrifying her. Listen, Fluttershy, it's okay if you want to talk about this, or even if you don't want to fight the demon. We are your friends, we understand." Rarity's speech received several 'yeah's, but not from one, that of course being Fluttershy. And upon the end of the applause, she stopped, halfway to the top, where the arena awaited them, causing the others to hold in turn. "No..." Fluttlershy muttered, barely audible above the hissing gasses and bubbling lava, which seemed to lower in volume around them, as if anticipating, and in fact reveling in, her next choice words. "Ah'm sorry, what was that, Flutters?" Applejack asked, oblivious to the newfound pressure surrounding the party. "N-no... NO YOU DON'T!" Fluttershy panted as she let loose her outburst, startling the other four ponies as she cried out, hoping someone, anyone, would listen to her. Alas, her friends heard her, but before they could question the motive for their friend's angry cries, she continued, answering her friends questions before they left their mouths. "You... DON'T understand! You CAN'T understand! We always fight giant monsters and thwart evil villains, but they were BORN here! They BELONG to this world! We UNDERSTAND them! But that THING isn't from here! Not from Ponyville, not from the moon, not even from Tartarus!" Fluttershy spouted, the rocks hissing in delight around her at the yellow pony's swelling, bubbling anger. "Now you hold on there Fluttershy, you don't know that..." Rainbow Dash tried to intervene, but this mountain, the pressure around the group, it was too much, and it was affecting Fluttershy, as could be seen by her next outburst. "No, I DO know that! I know things from this world! I know that the things that live here, no matter HOW dark, have HEARTS and FEELINGS and SOULS! THAT thing, on top of that mountain, has NONE of those! It's not natural! It's not even FROM here! And... we won't know how to stop it. I don't even think we CAN." Fluttershy drifted off, her gaze meeting the rugged ground beneath her, and the others merely stared, finally comprehending what they were about to do... and realizing that Fluttershy was right. Without Twilight, they were only a few ponies, going against a behemoth, made of fire and metal, who took out said princess/friend, as well as the princess of the sun herself. Sure, it hadn't killed them... but it may not have even humored the thought before. It merely swung it's boundless, unnatural strength around, and simply won both encounters they had with it. Fluttershy, they realized, halfway between them and the waiting demon, was right. They weren't just outmatched; these five small, fleshy ponies hadn't a PRAYER against that thing, and they had let their zeal blind them from that truth. "... So... what do we do now?" Pinkie Pie sullenly asked her friends, but none of them had an answer. That is, until Applejack, the current voice of reason, devined one from her own head. "... We wait. We go back to Ponyville, and we wait." Applejack commanded, to the shock of her comrades. "W-what! But we're right here, we came so far to find this guy! We can't just go back!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, though Applejack did not share her sentiments. "We have to, Dash. Fluttershy's right, this thing is beyond us right now, Heck, it might always be. But the best shot we have is to go home, wait for Twilight and Celestia to recover, and fight this thing with clear heads and able bodies. It's not much, not against THAT... but it's all we got." Applejack said, stoicism and melancholy in her voice, and though it pained her, no, them ALL, they agreed, silently turning around, from halfway up the mountain, the rocks hissing amusedly from off the beaten path, mocking the five ponies as they fled, tails between their lags, from their master; the Mighty, Stoic, Heartless Smelter Demon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy's POV ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I woke slowly but surely as the sun rose over my head the next day, begging me to ponder why it even came. Five more minutes, damn you, Five more minutes! "RRRRRRRRRRRR..." My metal body groaned as I lifted myself from my throne of rock and obsidian, courtesy of the volcano in front of me. However, as nice as the peaceful morning was, what with me not being attacked and all, I couldn't help the feeling that someone was watching me, leaving an uncomfortable tingle fixed upon my metal spine. However, I chose to ignore it, as most of my problems rose when I ever tried to attempt ANYTHING. So, I don't DO anything. I just get up, pick up my sword, and begin the arduous job of looking for any sign of those damned ponies. I scan the horizon several times, even look down the mountain, but I see nothing, and no one. Ah, such is the story of my life. However, as I turned back to my throne, to wait out the next great moment in this misadventure, I was struck by that chill again, the sensation of hundreds of hidden eyes fixed upon my every move, waiting for something, though what it was they waited for evaded my knowledge. So, having given up on understanding this strange, arbitrary world, I gave in to the unseen gazes, and simply walked to my throne, and sat upon it, seeing no reason to work myself up. And then, as if finally satisfied with my decision, they emerged. From behind the rocks and boulders, came several hooded, robed figures, clad in red and black, marching almost in a uniform line from behind their hiding spots, though their shapes and forms beneath the weirdly ornate cloaks were anything but uniform. Some were hunched, some quadrupedal, some tall, some with tails poking from beneath their cloaks. However, even despite this sudden, unnerving occurrence, I felt no alarm, or any need to defend myself. This in itself was questionable, but I did not do so. Mayhaps it was that the Robed figures seemed to hold no weapons, either outside or within their robes, Giving me the impression they were but humble monks, on some manner of pilgrimage. Or maybe, I had simply given up on trying, and simply had let these strange people come close, with some strange, sick hope that they'd off me. Maybe then, I could go home and be rid of this nightmare. However, it was not so, for they moved not an inch as they stood before me, heads lowered as if in silent prayer. I did not understand. I could not understand. These people just come up to me, like it was the most normal thing in the world, and they stare at me, like I'm some piece of modern art. I should feel threatened, or weirded out, or at least insulted, but I do not. I guess I'm just too tired. So, without another thought, I try to get up, to at least escape these wierdos, but before I can, I hear a voice from the crowd, light and feminine, and it, or rather SHE, speaks to me, and to my infinite surprise, in a tongue I never thought I would have the pleasure of hearing again. "Please, O great one, Remain seated! Do not disrespect your humble guests so..." The voice chimed out, a pretty voice, youthful and light, and I sat, at her behest, whomever SHE was. Whoever it was, she spoke English, and that was enough to compel me to stay, for whatever reason they had for me. "RRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr..?" I groaned, though it didn't come out right. In fact, I don't even remember what it was I tried to say, I was probably just making noise to let them know I hadn't fallen back to sleep. Whatever it was though, it was obviously a question, and to my boundless surprise, the speaker from before replied, even coming forward to do so. "I apologize, O great herald of flame, we did not mean to startle you... We thought you would be more welcoming of our presence, but it seems you are still in shock." The speaker said, emerging from the crowd, almost cinematically. She had her head raised to look at me, allowing me to identify her as a pony, like the ones that attacked me. But unlike them, she was light blue, with lovely, but unnaturally calm, indigo eyes, and she waltzed forward with a gait of reverence, but most of all, she... "Yes, great fiery one, I, and my many cohorts, speak your native tongue, the old tongue, from long, long before." The pony said, interrupting my very thoughts. Had... Had I given something away? My body language, perhaps? Surely, she couldn't read my THOUGHTS... "O great one, I can hear them just fine. Your thoughts, I mean." She said, lowering her head in apology. Even so, I was scared. Very scared. But still, I did not react, and tried to put off an air of superiority, like they thought I was, and tried to speak, or rather THINK, to the strange pony, if only to solidify my suspicions. "Okay... you can hear my thoughts, then?" I thought, almost jokingly. "Yes." She replied simply, almost playfully, like this was a game. This scared me, more than you could know, but I continued, not want to lose ground here, and maybe even get some answers, now that the opportunity presented itself. After all, I no longer had to 'talk' to communicate, and she could understand me! Finally! So, not wanting this rare opportunity to pass, I allowed myself to let loose a little, suspend my disbelief, and start getting the answers I so rightfully deserved. "O... Okay... Okay. So, uh... you read minds. How's that work?" I ask, and at first the pony seems surprised, but that prevalent, almost unnerving, calm feeling returns to her quickly, and without a second to waste, she silently replies. "My apologies, O great one, I forget you are from another world. Please, forgive my ignorance..." She thinks at me, and after a quick bow, she continues; "You see, here in this world, we have a force, one that prevails and saturates this planet, and that we denizens of the world can utilize, and manipulate to our will. You may call it... magic." She says, and I immediately, almost startlingly so, put the pieces together in my mind. "And you're using this 'magic' right now to talk to me?" I ask, trying to state it, but I clearly lack the grasp of it to be so sure. "If you mean to speak through your thoughts, then yes." She says, almost baiting my next question, upon my further analysis of the situation. "Then... then how are you talking to me? In English, I mean?" I hastily ask, desiring the answer almost obsessively. And with a borderline eerie smile, one that was more amused than happy, she replied, sending a horrid chill down my metal spine. "English... is that what it's called..? Hm. To answer your question, O great one, we know your tongue because we have trained in it's practice for many, many years, ever since your arrival was foretold." The pony said, causing me to tense, ever so slightly. I immediately checked my surroundings to see if anyone noticed, as in my concentration with the strange pony I'd forgotten the congregate had even existed. But thankfully, No one seemed the wiser, and I returned my attention to the pony, who, as if sensing my distress over the fact I was prophesied to be here, began to explain, almost autonomously. "Yes, O great one, it was told you would arrive, and that in the other world, your name would be... Andrew." The pony continued, furthering my paranoia, though try as she might to relieve it. "You... you knew of this..? Then... why the 'O great one' shtick? Why the reverence? You know who I was, Don't you!?" I ask mentally, my internal voice raising slightly in anger. However, she seemed unaffected by my mood, and continued to try and diffuse my rising discomfort. "Please, O grea- I mean, Andrew. Trust me, I know what you were before. WHO you were. And believe me, I want nothing more than to help you return to that life. That is why I'm here... to help you." The pony said, her 'voice' now a soothing coo, in an attempt to calm me. And believe it or not, it was working. However, I still had questions, and was going to ask them, you better bet your ass. "Oh... Okay... I believe you. So... then why the O great one thing?" I ask, trying to keep my questions simple, lest I ask too many at once. "Weelll, That's because you're really the great one. You were summoned for a purpose, and your avatar was used to become your form, to aid you in that task. You are the great one, so that's why we call you 'O great one'." She says, and feeling no less fulfilled by that answer, I move on, hoping to glean more from this strange, mind-reading pony. "Ok. So, I'm 'the great one', and you say I have a task before I go home. What IS that task?" I ask, almost dreading the answer. "Simple. You are the embodiment of fire and destruction. It's only logical that your task is to change this world into a new one." The pony says, her unnatural calm prevailing through her words. "Change... the world? Change it to what? How?" I ask, more confused than ever. But the pony only gives me a reassuring smile, and calms me down, cooing her reply, like a mother to a child. "Please, Andrew, do not fret. Like I said, I only wish to help you get home, and as your servant, I will guide you, and help you however yo need." She says, calming me, and for once, I have no more questions. She says she wants to help me, and frankly, I believe her. Either that, or I have ceased caring anymore. It doesn't matter what I have to do, If it gets me to MY world, I'll do it. But... for now, one more question burns in my mind, one that itches and nags and, in the end, forces itself out of my mind, if only to ease the situation. "Okay... But I have one last question for you, pony... What... is your name?" I ask, trying to sound as intimidating as possible, though I can't quite discern why. However, she merely smiles at me playfully, and poorly feigning awe and terror, she replies. "Well, O fiery great one... You can call me 'Camillia'. But to be fair, I can't just give you my name without asking yours in turn. What, O fiery bringer of change, do I call YOU?" She asks, and I'm caught off guard. She knows my real name, but clearly, she wants a different one. Hm, likely because 'Andrew' is a sucky name for a demon, I bet. So, after a quiet moment of thought, I think my answer, hoping it to be enough for the inquisitive pony at my feet. "Well, Camilla... You can just call me... Grahl. Grahl... the Smelter Demon."