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Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful

by David Silver

Chapter 4: 4 - Start Episode 2 - The Rise of Tiny Titan

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Tiny Titan surveyed the town she called home. Ponyville. A land of good ponies, mostly. But was any place truly safe from the evil of the world?

Prickle glanced to the right where Scootaloo was playing the narrator. "Do you have to say all that? I'm just looking around." She took a little breath and frowned. "I can't see much of the town from here."

Sweetie bounced up and down. "You're super strong, right?"

"Yeah?" said Prickle nervously. "Why?"

Sweetie tapped a hoof on the ground. "Ever try jumping really high?"

Prickle gave a slow blink. "No?"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes even as she grinned. "Well, now sounds like a mighty time t'do that. Go on!"

Prickle looked down at each of her costumed hooves a moment before she hunkered down. "Alright... Here goes!" She pressed against the world, and it moved. She was suddenly in the air, soaring, and screaming. She could see buildings rushing past her as the wind roared in her ears. The world and sky seemed to be spinning madly and completely out of control, or was it she that was spinning? She couldn't tell. She could only scream and flail, hoping the ride would end soon.

Her shrill wail echoed through the town as she hurtled across it. She came down with a terrific splash as she impacted on the water of the fountain. Her last scream became a gurgling choking of water as she bobbed to the surface, drenched, coughing, but intact.

The crusaders galloped like crazy to catch up with their heroic friend. Scootaloo was cheering wildly. "Woohoo! Look at you! Now that's some superheroics!"

Prickle pulled herself from the water, coughing up some water. "I don't feel heroic..." With the help of her friends, she flopped out of the water and began shaking herself dry. Despite the setback, she gave a nervous smile. "I have to practice."

Apple Bloom poked her in the side. "Now that's some winnin' spirit! Glad t'hear ya ain't givin' up so quick. That was downright amazin' what you just did!"

There were other ponies watching, staring more like.

One of them was very familiar to Prickle. Her mother, Junebug, approached. "Little filly, you really shouldn't do... whatever you just did. What did you just do?"

Prickle tensed a moment, horrified. Her eyes darted wildly until a friendly voice spoke.

"She's practicing to be a superhero," said Sweetie Belle in her place.

"Well her mother must be worried about her," chastised Junebug. "You shouldn't be playing pretend like that."

Prickle spoke, lowering her voice a little to mask it. "My name's... Tiny Titan, and I'm here to help protect Ponyville."

Junebug shook her head a little. "Well... Tiny Titan..." It was clear she didn't believe that was Prickle's true name, doubt dripping from every syllable. "You be careful. You're still a filly, after all, superhero or not." She turned away then, seeming to not see through Prickle's disguise. "Foals these days." She ambled off with a final roll of her eyes, likely glad that she had raised a sensible filly that would never do such a thing.

Prickle watched her go with wide eyes, trembling faintly. Once her mother was out of sight, she spun on the crusaders. "She didn't know who I was!"

Sweetie grinned broadly. "See, just like I told you. Your disguise is... kind of like armor. You're protected."

Prickle gave the most genuine smile of the day. "Like armor..." Her tail wagging, she turned in place. "What's next?" She pointed up a hoof to the top of the city hall. "I bet I could see everything from up there."

Apple Bloom peered up at the tall perch. "Bet it would, but we can't follow ya up there."

Prickle looked from the target back to her friends. "That's true... How am I supposed to, um, superhero and still be with you?"

Apple Bloom threw a leg over Prickle's neck. "Take it from me. Ah had to learn this the hard way. Ya can follow yer dreams without leavin' yer friends. We're still with ya, promise. Ya do you, and we can meet up later to hear all about it."

Scootaloo thrust a hoof at Prickle. "And that's not optional! I want to hear every exciting moment." She bounced into the air, her wings fluttering madly to keep her afloat a moment before she came back down.

Sweetie nodded in agreement with her friends. "Good luck."

With the encouragement of all three behind her, and the water dried in the afternoon sun, Prickle, no, Tiny Titan felt ready to try. "I'll do my best." She turned to face the City Hall and hunkered down. She tried to imagine the hall wasn't so far away, to make the jump like any other.

With a more controlled leap, she left the ground behind and was whistling through the air. She was aimed for the town hall, but her caution made her land on a roof long before she got to the hall. She wobbled where she landed, almost sliding off before she could catch herself with a loud huff of air. "I can do this..." she muttered to herself before she leaped forward.

She just didn't have the bravery to make the long jump to the hall, but small leaps that spanned from rooftop to rooftop, even skipping a house along the way seemed doable, and she bounded across the town with speed that left her giggling with joy. She was doing something amazing, and not a soul around was appalled by it, and even if they were, too bad! She was Tiny Titan, not Prickle Berry. She could be all the weird she wanted!

Wait... She came to an awkward halt just before the city hall. Did she want to be strange? No... But... "I can be a hero..." She licked over her lips and trembled softly, undecided a moment.

Suddenly she was shoved aside. If she had been paying attention, she surely could have resisted, but she hadn't been and just flopped as a pony rushed into the town hall, hollering and shouting. Several ponies emerged from within, looking frantic. Mayor Mare was there, looking nervous, but in charge. "Get the fire brigade mobilized," she commanded, pointing.

Prickle turned to see where she was pointing and saw a house with smoke coming out of it. She gasped and bounced up to her hooves. "Is there a fire?!"

The mayor blinked down at the small voice as if just noticing the vigilante. "Oh, hello there. Don't worry, filly, we have this under control. You just stay away from there." She nodded firmly, then began barking orders at the others.

Now, as far as Prickle saw it, old Prickle would have just agreed and walked away. But she wasn't Prickle. She was Tiny Titan! Superhero! She gritted her teeth and made a terrific bound towards the smoking building. Her aim still wasn't that good. She bounced a few times before realizing her last jump was too strong and she wouldn't land in front of the house. Smoke consumed her entirely before she felt a hidden window try to stop her. She smashed through it with the tinkling of breaking glass and splintering wood. She was inside the burning house! It was hot, she couldn't breathe, and she couldn't see anything!

That had perhaps been a poor idea.

"Help..."

Prickle perked her ears at the tiny voice. "Hello?"

"Help!" The voice was a little louder, perhaps encouraged by the sound of Prickle's voice.

Prickle couldn't see where it came from, but she could hear it over the crackle and roar of the flames that were consuming the building around her. She dashed towards it as quickly as she could, dancing around where she felt intense heat trying to cook her. "I'm coming!"

"Help!"

Prickle bumped into a door her snout and began feeling over it with her hooves. She found the knob and yanked her hoof back. It was hot!

What did Cheerilee say about hot doorknobs? Oh right! That meant there was fire on the other side... But she heard that voice... With frantic determination, Prickle spun around and lashed out her hooves with all the force she had.

The door lifted up out of its hinges and flew away violently, putting a new hole in the side of the burning building. A figure that had been leaning on it toppled backwards and let out a weak little cough.

Prickle rushed for the pony and grabbed the scruff of their neck. She couldn't make out much of the details of the pony, but she needed help, and Prickle was there to do it. She rushed for the hole she had just made and jumped over licking flames, leaving the heat behind for the relative cool of the afternoon. She came down hard, dirt flying from her impact site. The filly she was holding fell from her teeth and flopped to the ground, unmoving.

"She's over here!" came the shout of a pony, then many others came rushing towards them. Nurse Redheart was there and began giving CPR to the limp filly.

Prickle stared at the whole thing, trembling. Had she failed? Had she hit the pony with the door and finished the job the fire started herself? Was she a hero, or... a monster?! She couldn't bare to be there one moment longer. They were asking her questions, but she didn't hear them. She turned away and wished the world would go away.

With a mighty jump, it obliged. She sailed away, reeking of smoke and stinging in countless places that the fire and heat had made tender. She didn't care. Prickle did what never seemed to result in pain. She fled until she could find a quiet place to be alone, where her freakish nature could bring no more harm to the world.


Elsewhere, the crusaders were enjoying a break at Sugarcube Corner when a pony rushed in. "There was a fire!" Everypony turned at the news as he went on the details. "Silver Spoon was caught inside. Her parents made it out before the fire got too bad."

All three gasped dramatically before Scootaloo suddenly grinned. "Was she rescued?"

"What?" The pony looked confused. "Y-yes, actually. They don't know who it was, some little foal in a silly outfit."

Sweetie grumped. "It isn't silly," she muttered hotly.

Scootaloo stepped forward. "What she means is that she was saved by Tiny Titan! Ponyville's newest superhero!"

He gave a slow blink. "Tiny Titan huh? Well, they are a hero, but nopony knows where she went off to. She left before anypony could even ask her name."

The crusaders shared a look before they excused themselves and slipped out onto the street.

Apple Bloom had a little frown. "D'ya figure that meant it went well, or..."

Sweetie shook her head quickly. "We should check and be sure. Worst case is we get to celebrate how great she did!"

Scootaloo's wings fluttered. "I want to hear what happened straight from the horse's mouth. Let's go!"

United, they took off to find their super-heroic friend.

Author's Notes:

Well, that could have gone better... maybe?

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Next Chapter: 5 - Being Alone Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 11 Minutes
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