Keep Out of the Everfree Forest

“Your train is leaving in ten minutes, dear. Are you sure you’re going to make it?”
“Yes, mum, I’ll make it in time.”
The young pony said goodbye to her parents, picked up her saddlepack and walked out into the front yard.
“Emerald!” yelled the pony’s father. “Be careful, have fun and good luck!”
“I will, Dad! I love you!” shouted Emerald.
She took off into the sky and her parents watched their pegasus daughter fly off across Canterlot towards the train station in the city center.
Emerald Fire was still young, but she had wanted to get out of home ever since she got her cutie mark.
She had always loved playing with fire. One night, while her parents were asleep, she went down to the living room and started playing with matches. The following chaos could have destroyed the house and ended the lives of everypony inside, but Emerald managed to put out the fire herself, saving her parents and their house. Mr. and Mrs. Fire had no idea until the next morning, when they went downstairs only to find a blackened living room and Emerald sleeping on the floor; a burning pile of sticks emblazoned on her flank.
Emerald had been asked to come down to Ponyville and work as a firefighter, a job that she gladly accepted. She didn’t have any friends in Canterlot because she didn’t like their posh, uptight attitudes. She was a country girl at heart, even if she had lived in the city all her life.
Emerald made it to the train station with only seconds to spare. She flew through the train’s door, crashing into the cabin wall. She gave her ticket to the conductor and stumbled off to find a seat.
The entire train was full of very important looking ponies, who were headed to some sort of art show in Ponyville. Emerald decided these were not the sort of ponies she wanted to be around, so she headed for the back of the train to find an empty compartment.