Chapter 8- Awakening

As Rainbow was being taken to their tent to recover, Pinkie turned to Twilight and said, "Um Twilight, what's a pyromancer?"

Twilight turned to Pinkie and said, "A pyromancer is a mage with a natural proficiency with fire magic." "I thought mages could only be a unicorn?" Flash questioned. "That's a common misconception, all unicorns are mages but rarely a pony of another species is born with an ability to use a certain type of magic." Flash jumped up and said, "I get it, it's like squares!" Twilight looked at him, bewildered at his odd response. "What?! How is this like squares?" "It's like this all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares." Pinkie shook her head. "I don't get it." "Me either." Flash tried to explain his thinking, "All unicorns, like squares, are all mages, rectangles, but not all mages, still rectangles, are squares, unicorns."

Twilight rubbed her head and grumbled, "You're crazy… Even I don't get it." She began to walk towards the concessions and the other two followed. Flash tried to continue his explanation, "Well you see the squares reperse…Mpphh." He was stopped by a hoof from Pinkie who said, "Just give it up Flash."

"So Twilight, how do I use magic?" Flash asked. Without stopping Twilight said, "Every creature has a link to magic…" "Twilight if I can cut you off right there, I just want to know how to access it. I kinds want to hear the entire Magic Theory," Twilight wasn't offended and said, "Just focus on what you want to do and try to push your energy where you want it. The more complex the effect you want the more you need to concentrate and the more energy it will cost, sometimes you may need certain words which will guide the magic and cause the desired effect."

Flash stopped and lifted a hoof up and began to concentrate. Sweat began pouring down his face and suddenly a spark came from his hoof. Flash opened his eyes to find a coin sized flame in his hoof. "Shit! Is that all!" He shut his mouth immediately as he saw several fillies' mothers glare at him. "I mean I put a lot of energy into this, and look at it!" "That's how it happens, it costs a lot of energy to perform a task at the beginning but the more you practice the easier to use magic. Also keep in mind that it costs less energy to control magic than to conjure something completely new." Twilight went to the concessions stand to purchase her snack.

Dash awoke rubbing her face. She was back in her tent. The last thing she remembered was getting a face full of hoof. Her face hurt and she had to pee. Rainbow climbed off the cot she had been placed on wondering where it had come from.

She walked into the bathroom and relived herself before poking her head out of the tent. It was late in the afternoon and the course was still set up in the clouds. She looked to her right and saw Fluttershy going lecturing Jetstream, "You dirty cheater! I should take your head and shove it up your ass!" The stallion backed away looking for a way out, but Fluttershy had him backed up to a corner. "No one hurts my friends! Now get the hell out of here!" She stepped to the side to allow him by. He ran past her but she grabbed by the shoulder and hissed in his ear, "But if ever find out your cheating again, I'll hunt you down and feed you bit by bit to a chimera." Fluttershy shoved him, causing Jet to stumble as he galloped away.

Fluttershy looked back towards the tent and saw Rainbow and galloped and hugged her newly awakened friend. "Oh, my goodness you're ok! I mean we were so worried." Rainbow Dash squirmed a little in the hug and said, "I'm alright Fluttershy. What happened?" Fluttershy let go of her friend. "You don't remember?" Rainbow shook her head and Fluttershy said, "Well during the end of the race Jetstream saw you gaining on him and started running into you, and eventually when you were about to pass him he kicked out and knocked you unconscious and you fell."

"But I was like five hundred feet in the air, I should at least have some broken bones." Fluttershy replied, "The Blazing Angel caught you. It was really nice how he caught you, if it's ok to tell you." She looked around nervously wondering how her friend would react to someone else doing her trick. Rainbow saw this and asked, "Fluttershy, what's wrong?" Fluttershy shook her head. "Tell me." Fluttershy shook her head again. "Fluttershy…" "He did a sonic boom," Fluttershy quickly squeaked out,

Rainbow reared her head back, "He did what!" "Well… You see when you… um fell he rushed to catch you. As he neared… you he suddenly exploded and… a ring of um fire burst out," Fluttershy whimpered. Rainbow growled, "Great now I've got nothing above him." She saw Fluttershy shaking and lowered her voice soothingly. "It's ok, Shy. Thanks for being honest with me. Now let's go find everypony else."

Following Flash

Flash stood alone outside his tent trying again to conjure a flame. He suddenly heard a slick voice from behind him, "Mr. Fahrenheit we must discuss," the voice paused for a second, "your less than exemplary performance at the race." Flash turned to his boss and saw him standing in front of the entrance to his tent. "Of course Mr. Hook." Slen lifted the tent flap and Flash went in. Slen came in and dropped the flap behind him.

Flash said, "I'm surprised that you came alone. The boys get scared?" "Well you know me, I always take care of my business, personally." Slen grabbed Flash and said, "Now I hate making messes so tell me what you have got to say for yourself?" Flash smiled a wolfish grin and said, "I quit."

Slen looked genuinely surprised at his words. He threw down Flash and growled, "Well I tried not to make a mess." Flash gasped and tried to stand up, but he suffered a quick hit in the side and fell to his side. Slen kicked him again and shouted, "Well, what are you waiting for!" Flash climbed to his feet and was quickly struck in the face. Flash stumbled back but prepared to strike back. Slen cried out seemingly exasperated, "About time! Now let's talk business."

Flash launched himself at Slen and threw a right towards his face. Slen simply steeped to the side and threw a left hook into flash's face. Flash quickly retaliated by bucking towards his boss striking him in the side. Slen stumbled back and hit the side of the tent. Slen stood as Flash raced towards him hoping to strike while Slen was unbalanced. As Flash was about to connect Slen leaned forward and launched Flash over his shoulder and through the tent, Flash twisted in the air and landed on his hooves.

Slen stepped out as Flash looked to see people staring, "Slen, let's take this someplace else." Flash took flight towards the now empty big top. Slen removed his vest and spread his wings. Flash looked behind him to see Slen following and shouted, "Not used to following are you?"

Flash landed in the middle of the tent and prepared for Slen. He flapped his wings and shouted at the quickly approaching figure, "Come on, if I knew you were this slow I wouldn't have waited this long to fight back!" The reply was a roar and doubled speed. Slen reached his razor sharp talons out in front of him. Flash clenched his jaw and tried to jump over the speeding griffon but to no avail. He launched himself in the air to have his back hoof be caught by Slen.

Slen dragged Flash through the air and crashed into him and the ground. Flash raised his hooves trying to push Slen off of him with no success. Slen rained down blows from above cutting Flash across the face and taking off a part of his ear. Gasping for breath the bruised and battered Flash shoved Slen off. Try as he might he couldn't return to his hooves.

Slen stood up and kicked Flash in the side. He crouched over him and held down by his left forehoof and wing, pinning his back legs underneath. He spat in Flash's face and said, "You are pathetic! You can't beat me before and you can't beat me now." At this Flash stopped struggling and said, "I learned a couple of new tricks since then." Flash slammed his free hoof into Slen's face and the flame he had conjured caught his face ablaze.

Slen screamed in pain and gripped the right side of his face. He fell back onto the dirt and rubbed his face in the dirt. Flash killed the flame with his mind and walked out of the tent a free stallion.

A/N Sorry for the long wait. No excuses I was lazy I'm sorry.