Nil sine magno labore

Translation: Nothing without great effort

Pepper flexed her fingers, trying to clear her mind. She was waiting in the yard behind the Keep, waiting for Tony. Today was going to be the first time she would practice using her flame.

The first day of training myself to control my ... my power...

Tony had told her she needed to get over her shame. She could not keep calling it her dark secret or her curse or the fire anymore. Mental association was important and the sooner she started treating her pyrokinesis as a power, the sooner she would be able to control it.

He has even found a proper, scientific-sounding name for it... pyrokinesis...

She smiled to herself and then Tony came round the corner, holding a large, steel kite shield. Pepper stared at him, confused and wary. Smart-aleck that he was, he was grinning at her.

"Why are you wearing that? Are... are you scared I will hurt you?" She said sadly.

Tony stopped smiling and came to her. He put down the shield and said seriously, "Pepper, I know you will never hurt me. But I want you let your power out, let it roar and surge. And I am going to be a willing practice target."

She stared to protest, "Tony, really, that is no-"

He caught her in his arms and kissed her deeply, cutting her off mid-sentence. Pepper responded to his kiss eagerly and whimpered slightly when he let her go.

"Good afternoon, Pepper." He said softly.

"Good afternoon Tony... I hope you do not expect to win all your arguments that way..." she said, exasperated.

He laughed and then said, "Come on, let us go to the training field."

"I thought we were going to train here?"

"Nope, I want no interruptions, no distractions, just you and me and the fire. That's it." he said firmly.

He joined hands with her and they walked to the back gate. Tony and Pepper walked over the green grass briskly. It was a bright day but not too hot.

He led her to a clearing of flat grass. There were trees in the distance but not close enough for her to accidentally burn one down. Tony had clearly prepared this area for their practice. There was a wooden bench with six to eight empty bottles on it. The straw training dummy they used for sparring, was also there and Pepper laughed to see that even it was carrying a shield. There was a barrel of water and Tony placed the large, steel kite shield on the ground.

She turned to Tony. "I take it you could not find any chickens, willing to be targets."

He shrugged and answered drolly, "Magdalene objected very ... well, very aggressively to my 'borrowing' some of her chickens. So here I am, empty handed."

She giggled as Tony dropped his shield on the ground and pulled off his chest plate.

He leaned against the bench and said, "Pepper, I want to ask you a question. Please be as honest as possible."

She nodded.

Tony gestured with his hands. "How do you ... you know... i mean, how do you shoot flame? I have seen you conjure it out of thin air..."

"Tony," she said smiling, "That is the essence of the power of Summac, the ability to create fire out of thin air."

"Yes but... can you do it whenever you want? Like if I said, on the count of three, one, two, three, flame on! Could you..."

"No... I will try to explain. It is rarely planned but I feel my eyes burn ... I feel warm inside. My palms start to itch. I feel... pure rage coursing through me... and then..." she shrugged, "the fire just comes from within me."

He was looking at her thoughtfully. "And it is always created through anger? When you get really angry?"

"Yes."

"Okay, we are going to try something."

He arranged the bottles, one on top of the other, such that they formed a glass pyramid.

He stepped out of the way. "Alright Pepper, let them have it. Just knock the bottles down with your flame."

She swallowed hard. "You want me to just..."

"Yes."

"I do not think... I cannot do that Tony..."

"Pep, do what you normally do. I just want to see what you can do."

She steadied herself and raised her hands. But her palms did not itch nor did she feel anything surge inside her.

She shrugged and said simply, "I cannot, there's nothing in me."

He said gently, "Come on, Pepper, try. Please try. The first step is always the most difficult."

She nodded. I cannot let him down. Not when he has faith in me.

She put one leg back and raised her arms forward. Then Pepper closed her eyes tightly.

Concentrate now...

Still nothing.

Come on! Damn you, damn you Summac! You come when you want and when I need you... you aren't there! You have always embarrassed me, destroyed friendships, destroyed... my life...

In her mind's eye, Pepper suddenly saw her mother's still face, blue eyes wide open and staring blankly at her, lying down on the green grass. A hooded figure in black was walking towards her. She gasped with shock. It had a giant hole in its chest, filled with writhing maggots. Flies buzzed around the figure. She could smell death and decay. The figure stretched out a hand as if asking for hers.

She shook her head at it in fear, silently pleading with it to go away. It tilted its hooded head slightly and then spoke in Tony's voice. "Come on, Pepper, you can do it sweetheart... just try it out. The first step is always the most difficult."

Pepper suddenly felt the flame coursing through her and she blasted fire at the figure. She screamed in rage, at the top of her lungs as she kept firing, desperate to destroy it.

"Pepper! I think that's enough! Pepper! Stop! Please!"

She blinked at the sound of Tony's cry and suddenly the figure and her mother vanished. Pepper's heart started to thump loudly as she stared at the destruction she had caused.

No...No...No..no no no... nooo...

The bench was nothing but a smoldering mass of burnt wood. The grass around it, was burnt badly, a black ring of ash standing out against the green. The air was thick with the smell of burning wood. The lancing dummy was also burnt badly and smoke drifted from its center.

"Good lord..."

"Exactly what I was going to say."

She glanced sideways and gasped with dismay. The large steel kite shield was being held up by someone, Tony, with its base resting on the ground. She stared at it because its grey steel surface had been blackened horribly by heat. The grass around it, was singed badly.

She said softly, "What did I do?"

Tony poked his head out from behind the shield. He said lightly, "You did what I asked you to... you burnt the glass bottles."

Pepper suddenly felt deeply ashamed. "I lost control, didn't I?"

She sensed Tony was trying to protect her. He shrugged casually. "You may have been a little ... enthusiastic."

Pepper looked around again at the bench, the shield, the grass.

She sighed, feeling a deep sadness inside her. Her heart felt so heavy. "So I did it again. I lost control..."

Then she realized something. "Tony, why are you behind the shield?" She gasped with horror. "Good lord... did I blast you as well?"

He stood up and came towards her. "Pep, it is alright, I got to the shield in time. You just turned slightly as you fired. It was an accident."

This was too much for Pepper to bear. "I could have killed you..."

The thought of Tony burnt like the bench, like her mother, because of her vicious evil, broke her resolve. Despair, sadness and horror at what she did, filled her being. She cried out in anguish.

"I cannot do this...I just can't! I can't!"

She ran wildly into the woods, disgusted with herself and her power. Tony called out after her but she just kept running, swiping away her tears.


Tony watched wide-eyed as Pepper ran into the trees, hair streaming behind her, running nimbly over the dirt path. He was going to run after her when the voice of the Dragon stopped him.

Let her go, Anthony... let her go... poor child... this is not easy for her...

He exhaled deeply and looked up at the sky. "I pushed her too hard... I should not have asked her to do that... She... it brings up too many unpleasant memories for her... the death of her mother is still fresh in her mind." He crossed his legs and sat down on the grass, looking up at the light blue sky.

"Blue and bright and clear... just like Pepper's eyes when she's looking at me tenderly. Dragon, my friend, please help me here... how can I help Pepper? I want... I want to help her..."

The Dragon huffed at him slowly. Tony knew it was thinking deeply. Then it spoke in its deep, smoky voice. Anthony, Pepper needs to connect with her flame... she hates it... so it hates her... and why does she hate it? Because she has been taught to. Because she associates it with nothing but death and destruction. You need to teach her to associate with something else. With love. And what does Pepper love?

Tony kept quiet, mulling over the Dragon's words. It hissed him then. You, Pepper loves you, Anthony. Show her through love, just how wonderful her flame can be...

Tony swallowed. The Dragon had somehow, hit upon the very horrible doubt, that lay deep down in his heart. "But Dragon..." he said slowly, hating to voice his doubt, "Pepper never said she loves me... I mean... I think she does but... she has never said those words. I... I do not blame her, I do not have the most sterling reputation but..."

The Dragon snorted at him. Foolish boy, have you seen the way the woman looks at you? Even though I am nothing but fire, I can sense the love in her, for you. She is just scared of saying it. Then the Dragon said smugly, She will say it soon enough. You both are destined for each other. It snorted again. Spare me from humans madly in love with each other but too stubborn to admit it.

Tony objected to this. "Hey, I always tell Pepper I love her!"

"Yes but there was a time, Anthony when you refused to accept it..."

"Alright, alright. We have already had this conversation. Now I am going to find her and somehow persuade her to come back."

"Anthony..."

"Yes, I will be slow and gentle, I will not bring up the practice at all."

He stood up and walked into the green, shady forest. The forest and him were friends as he had spent many days, exploring its evergreen depths. He looked down at the ground, following the faint footsteps Pepper had left in the soft dirt. Tony heard a sniff and turned to his left, pushing aside shrubs and low-hanging branches.

He stood there, looking at Pepper, sitting at the base of a tall willow tree. She had wrapped her arms tightly around herself, hair covering her face like a curtain of flame. Tony sighed deeply as he heard her weeping, her whimpers and gulps reaching him where he stood.

Tony walked to her, she peeked at him from underneath her hair and lowered her head to her knees, hiding her face.

He stood in front of her, bending, trying to look at her. "Pep, sweetheart..." he said slowly, "I am sorry... I am sorry I pushed you into doing that."

Pepper raised her head and looked at him, wide-eyed and sad, eyes red and tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

He came close to her and knelt down to sit beside her. She just stared at him mutely, swallowing hard. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her tear-stained cheeks softly.

She whispered tiredly, eyes downcast, "Tony, it is I who am sorry, I ... I lost control again. I burnt the bench... I..." she hiccuped and he patted her back.

"Ssssh Pepper, do not say anything. Forget it." He put his arm around her and held her close to his side.

She leaned into him and whispered "I do not think I will ever be able to use it. The fire... I mean the fire... I cannot.."

He rubbed her arm and kissed the side of her head. "It is alright, sweeting." He whispered to her softly, "Whatever you say. I will not push you anymore. Would you like to go for a walk? Just you and me in this beautiful forest."

Pepper nodded and he stood up, holding out his hand to help her up. She stood up too and handed him back his handkerchief. Tony smiled at her mischievously. "This is the very kerchief you used to bind my wound that day, Pep."

Pepper smiled slowly back at him. "Then my lord, this is actually my kerchief. I take it back." She said regally and he bowed theatrically. "I am so grateful for your tender ministrations in my time of grief. Without you, I may have bled to death." He said loudly and pompously.

Just as he expected, Pepper snorted at him loudly. "Tony, really... it was just a splinter. A tiny one at that."

"There were two of them and they were painful." He said mulishly.

She snickered and muttered, "Man child..." under her breath and caught his hand. They walked together, over the soft dark ground of the forest, filled with tall, evergreen trees and small shrubs. The trees provided a green canopy of leaves, through which sunlight pored in pockets, dappling the ground with beams of light.

"Tony, where are we...?"

"Sssh sweeting...I want to show you something."


They came to a thicket of bushes surrounding a small clearing ahead. Tony crouched and Pepper did the same. He pointed ahead and they looked out at the grassland. In the middle of the flat grassy area, was a large tree trunk. It was black and charred because it had been struck by lightning. But all around it, the grass grew, lush, thick and green.

Pepper was staring wide-eyed at the tree. Tony took advantage of her distraction and her face turned away from him, to lean towards her and whisper softly against the soft flesh of her ear.

"The day you had the bad dream... the day I gave you the moonstone... there was a bad thunderstorm."

Pepper shuddered slightly and Tony grinned, knowing her ears were very sensitive. But she did not move away or get nervous, so he mentally congratulated himself.

She is getting used to my touch.

He continued, "There was a mighty oak tree here. It had been here for ages. And that night, it was struck by lightning and was burnt badly. It broke into two. The top half was burnt to a crisp. All that remains is its trunk."

Pepper tightened her lips, a look of resignation on her face. "Fire, of course, nothing survives through it." She said grimly.

He blew on her ear gently and she shuddered again, this time taking a deep breath. "Pepper, sweetheart," he growled, "the tree was gone, broken and burnt. The shrubs and bushes underneath, were also burnt black beyond recognition. I know this because I came to this area after the storm. And I was shocked to see that the oak had fallen."

He continued, "Its heavy leafy top had crushed all the undergrowth around it in a wide area. And as the tree began to decompose, the soil became rich."

Pepper had turned slightly to look at him, wide eyed.

"When I came here before leaving for Patait, I was shocked. Yes, the thick shrubbery, the mighty oak was gone but... instead the forest attained this tiny patch of flat green land. With rich thick grass. And the oak stub."

Tony looked at the clearing. "Now look at who has come to inspect it, out of curiosity".

Pepper gasped with delight, clasping her hand across her mouth to stifle the sound. A tiny fawn had entered the clearing, spindle legged and shaky. The sunshine shown on its baby brown coat, with white spots. It hesitantly stepped towards the trunk, cautiously, one leg at a time.

She whispered in wonder. "Oh Tony... how darling... she is so small and innocent."

He smiled at the look on Pepper's face. "She is, isn't she?"

Pepper watched as the fawn finally sniffed at the trunk curiously and licked it. Then it jumped in glee and began to gambol about the clearing. Another slightly bigger fawn came as well and it ran towards it to rub heads.

Pepper whispered almost to herself. "I've never seen a baby deer before. This is amazing."

He leaned towards her and said softly, "The deer never came to this part of the forest before. They come now, only because there is grass."

He kissed her forehead. "You see Pepper, bad things happen especially to good people but the circle of life must go on. We must carry on. And sometimes our tragedies make us stronger. In ways we never thought we would grow."

Pepper was not looking at him but he could make out she was listening to him.

Tony said softly, choosing his words carefully.

You know before the Flame, when I was a Knight, when I was a lord, i had money, soldiers, power. The ear of a king. The admiration of an empire. And then I lost Rhodey. I lost my men. I lost my way. Then I met Yin Sen and the Flame. So I was broken and reborn and at first I hated what had happened to me. But the Flame of Ryunn has blessed me in ways, I could have never imagined. I am not a knight anymore. I'm not a commander of men. No court listens to my every word."

Pepper turned to him, eyes soft. "You are a lord again, Tony."

He chuckled wryly. "A penniless one. One with a broken down castle and a hole in his chest. But yes... I have one treasure that many men would kill to have."

She was staring at him curiously.

"Something infinitely better, than a court or a king or a legion of men to command. Something that is more precious to me than all the gold that exists in this world..."

He couldn't control himself anymore. Tony touched his lips to Pepper's, softly, just grazing them. She whimpered against his mouth. He kissed the corner of her mouth and whispered to her. "Pepper I know... I know you have suffered horribly and I wish... I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could have spared you that pain. But because you left Cumbria, you came into my life. I know I may be selfish to say this but... believe me sweetheart, I'm a much better man for that..."

"Tony, you were always a good man."

"No... no ... you have taught me a lot, Pepper, you don't realize it and I must show you how but... you cannot understand how grateful I am, that you are here with me. You are the best partner, a soldier could ask for."

"Squire."

He tapped her on the nose lightly. "Partner." He said firmly. "No squire stands toe to toe with a knight, facing down foes together. No squire has his master's back." He touched his forehead to hers. "Not in the way you have mine, Pepper. Not in the way you have my back. I would face hell and the Devil himself because I know... you are at my back. That is why I am trying to help you with your fire. I owe you, Pepper Potts, I owe you so much. Let me repay you. Let me help you use your power. You can control it, I have never seen you back down from a challenge."

Tony looked at her cautiously, nervous of her reaction. Her expression was unreadable. She raised her hand to slowly stroke his jaw. As he leaned into her touch, she held him still.

Pepper stared into Tony's eyes, cerulean blue searching whiskey brown. Any other person, Tony would have shied away from such a soul-searching look but he looked into her deep blue depths, trying to tell her with his eyes, what his words could not.

You can do anything, you put your mind to, Pepper. I have faith in you, just in the way, you have faith in me. My love, you are infinitely stronger than you think. Trust me on this.

Then to his utter delight, Pepper kissed him deeply, her tongue mating fiercely with his. For a moment, they remained locked in passion.

After she had kissed him senseless, she nuzzled him and said gently, "Know this Lord Stark, whatever happened in the past, even I will remain eternally grateful that I met you. That I fell down that lake. That you took me to your home."

Then she giggled. "That I brained you with a candlestick and you came after me, catching me on the roof."

He grimaced and she giggled again. Then her face grew serious. "That you came back for me in the slavers camp."

She caught his hands and kissed them reverently.

"I too have never felt as blessed as this, Tony. I owe you so much. But you are right. I think I overreacted. I should conquer my fears. I should move on. I cannot let Stane win. You have trained me to use the sword and I can defend myself because of your teaching. Give me another chance, my lord. Let me try again."

"I have an idea, Pepper to make it easier. At least I think it should work."

She smiled and said, "Then let us go back to the clearing, Tony and try your idea."