Inferno

by DemonBrightSpirit

Chapters

Ponyville Ablaze!
Containment
Up in Smoke
Aftermath: Applejack
Aftermath: Rainbow Dash
Revelations
Specter
Hotter than...
Aftermath: Twilight Sparkle

Ponyville Ablaze!

Inferno

Chapter 01

Ponyville Ablaze!

WHAM!

Crash!

Bam!

Rainbow Dash shot up out of bed. Turning the lights on, she quickly found a pegasus mare in her bedroom sitting up and shaking her head. “Derpy!? What the hay!?” Rainbow scolded as she landed and rubbed her eyes. “It’s the middle of the night!”

“E-emergency Rainbow Dash!” Derpy said as she pointed a hoof out the window she just crashed through. “Ponyville’s burning! They need everypony to help out!”

“What!?” Dash exclaimed as she rushed to her window.

It didn’t offer the usual gorgeous view of Ponyville. Instead all she could see under the stars' cold light was thick, black smoke rising from an orange haze. It wasn’t just one house. The blaze spread all across the small town. The constant, dull sound of flames crackling was occasionally interrupted by a faint, distant scream.

After staring slack-jawed for several seconds, she finally snapped her maw closed with a click as she fired up her wings. “We gotta go help!”

Derpy followed after Rainbow as they zoomed towards the flames. As they approached the edge of the blaze, they found a small gathering of pegasi herding several rainclouds over the fires. Rainbow Dash flew up to the pony calling the shots, a pale blue mare with a blonde mane. “Cloud Kicker! What’s going on!?”

“Rainbow Dash! Thank goodness you’re here!” she eagerly greeted, shouting above the roaring flames. “I’ve already sent somepony to Cloudsdale to request all the rainclouds they can spare. Raindrop took several ponies to round up any stray clouds that might be floating around and bring them back here to the rally point,” Cloud Kicker explained. “We’re trying to get what rain we have over the worst parts of the fire.”

Rainbow Dash looked around a bit as she tried to assess the situation. “No,” she refuted with a shake of her head. “You’re not gonna help anypony putting the rain on the worst parts of the fire. Get the word out to get the rain over the edges of the fire, all right? It’ll help keep it from spreading any further and help anypony on the ground to get through to help, okay?”

Cloud Kicker gave a salute as well as the few other pegasi that had been around to listen. They all took off in different directions to redistribute what little rain they had to work with. Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to try to get a good handle on what was going on down on the ground. It didn’t take her long to find Twilight a stone’s throw away from the fire line. In her aura was the town’s water tower.

Rainbow watched in awe as Twilight used the water tower to drop a deluge on a few houses. The torrent of water instantly quenched the flames with a loud, rushing hiss. Just as Dash’s hopes started to rise, she watched Twilight nearly fall over. The water tower left her aura, crashing to the ground.

“Twilight!” she called out as she landed. “Take it easy a minute. What can you tell me?”

“Oh! Rainbow Dash!” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Please tell me the cloud teams are about to dump a ton of water over here!”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “All we had on hand was a few clouds to give AJ’s crops a shower in the morning. Our next shipment isn’t for another three days. We’re working with what we have, but I know it’s not a lot.”

“Curses!” Twilight stamped a hoof. “How could this have happened!?”

“We already sent for an emergency shipment from Cloudsdale. It shouldn’t take long,” Rainbow Dash explained.

Twilight nodded in understanding. “The Princesses have already agreed to send help, too. I was hoping we could get enough wing power to use the reservoir to drench the whole town.”

Rainbow Dash blinked a couple of times. She hadn’t even considered that. But, as she thought about it, she shook her head. “Not unless we get a whole lot of help. Our pegasi are scattered everywhere looking for clouds and coordinating the rainfall. It’d take hours to round up enough pegasi. Don’t you just have a spell to make it go away?”

“I wish,” Twilight panted as she looked to the roaring flames. “Just give me a minute and I can refill the water tower at the river."

“I’ve got pegasi redistributing the rainfall. I told them to put as much water as they can on the outskirts of the fires,” Rainbow Dash informed Twilight.

Twilight nodded in understanding. “Good, that’ll make things easier for the bucket brigades.”

“Anything else I can do to help?”

“Just keep the rain coming,” Twilight urged. “We have to get this under control!”

With a curt nod, Rainbow Dash flew up to do what she could to coordinate the cloud teams.

Rarity was stirred from her peaceful slumber by a suffocating smell. Giving a couple of demure coughs, she threw her blankets from her. It smelled like smoke! Racing out of bed, she threw open her bedroom door. A quick search through her boutique revealed no fire, even though she kept smelling smoke. Finally, she opened her front door. What she saw took her breath away.

Ponyville was burning!

She stepped out into a light rain as she looked to the burning buildings around her. The first things on her mind were her family and friends. Without even realizing it, her hooves were already taking her towards the towering flames at full speed.

Navigating the streets through the rain, smoke, and rubble was no small task. Most of the landmarks she normally used for getting around the town were obscured or destroyed. How could something like this have happened!? her mind raced as she struggled to find her way.

Finally, she came across a building she could identify in any condition: her parent’s house. It wasn’t engulfed in flames like some of the other buildings, but smoke was rolling out of the windows and the roof. It might not have been burning like a torch, but it was on fire.

Her first instinct was to rush in, but her reason managed to keep her at bay. She swallowed as she tried to figure out whether or not anypony was in there. Then, she heard it—a tiny, high pitched scream.

“Sweetie Belle!?” she shouted at the smoldering structure. It took her but a moment to make up her mind. Sweetie Belle was in there, and nothing, not even hellfire, was going to keep her from rescuing her. “I’m coming, Sweetie!” she shouted as she rushed towards her front door.

Her aura failed to open the door. It was locked. Not about to be deterred, she whipped around and bucked the door with all her might. It flew off its hinges, bursting into the house and sending out a wave of smoke. She coughed at the onslaught as she tried to peer into the house. It was completely black inside. The smoke obfuscated everything and she could feel heat radiating from inside.

Another high-pitched scream shattered what remained of Rarity’s doubts. With her soaked hide as her only shield against the flames, she raced inside.

Racing around above the smoke, Rainbow Dash was feeling more and more useless. All the pegasi had already moved what rainclouds they had on hoof into proper position, and now there wasn’t much use for any of them. As much as they may have wanted to dive down and try to rescue any ponies trapped by the flames, they all knew better.

Back in flight school, they brought it up every year: When there is a fire, you have to stay out of the smoke. Every lungful of ash saps your strength and your stamina. It makes you cough and suck in more, draining your strength faster and faster. If you fly down into the smoke, you’ll get drawn in like a moth and condemned to be consumed by fire.

Rainbow had to keep repeating the lesson over in her head each time she heard a scream or cry from below. Her wings constantly twitched, urging her to forsake her own safety to assuage the suffering of the ponies trapped below. Then, she heard it. An unmistakable cry that made up her mind for her. Ignoring the part of her mind that warned her that she was flying to her doom, she took a deep breath and dove down into the sea of smoke and ash.

Instantly her eyes stung as the smoke reduced her visibility to zero. She wandered through the blackness looking until she couldn’t hold her breath any more. “Pinkie!” she cried out before sucking in a lungful of smoke. Her lungs immediately rejected the tainted air, sending her into a coughing fit as she hovered there.

“Rainbow Dash!?” Pinkie’s voice sounded over the steady howling of the flames. “Help!”

Flying aimlessly towards Pinkie’s voice, Rainbow Dash crashed right into the top of Sugarcube Corner. She tumbled down onto the balcony. As she coughed and tried to get up, a pink blur appeared through the smoke.

“Dashie!” Pinkie coughed. “H-here,” she said, pushing two bundles into Rainbow’s hooves.

It took Dash a moment to realize what she was holding, or rather, who. It was the Cake twins. Rainbow looked back to Pinkie and shook her head. “I can get all of you,” she asserted, putting the twins back into Pinkie’s hooves. As soon as Pinkie had them, Rainbow circled around her and wrapped her forelegs around the pink pony.

Dash took off. She didn’t make it far. Normally she could do backflips carrying three full-sized ponies, but that lesson about smoke was no exaggeration. Try as she might, Rainbow quickly lost altitude. She barely made it to the fire line before she ran into the ground. Pinkie tucked the twins close to her as she and Dash skidded across the ground.

Getting up and trying to suck in fresh air through a coughing fit, Dash hobbled over to Pinkie. Ash and soot marred her hide and mane, nearly making the pink pony appear grey. “Are you...are you okay?”

Pinkie coughed a few times before checking on the twins. Once she was sure they were all right, she nodded at Dash. She tried to say something, but all she could do was cough.

Rainbow helped Pinkie up and pointed away from the fire. “Can you make it to help on your own?”

Pinkie nodded again. “B-but the Cakes,” Pinkie managed to choke out, her voice weak and ragged.

Dash looked back at the fires. She would be lucky if she could keep herself airborne. Airlifting another two ponies to safety? No. She couldn’t even make it back to Sugarcube Corner on her own. “I have to-to catch my breath,” she said, her mind racing.

“Hey! Are you ponies okay!?” a voice echoed as a cart approached.

A stallion drawing a cart galloped over to them. Dash hardly hesitated in pushing Pinkie and the twins up on it. “They...they breathed in a lot of smoke,” she urged, still trying to cough the ash out of her lungs. “I’ll be fine.”

Once the cart took off, Rainbow looked again towards the flames. She couldn’t go back for the Cakes, and there was no way she would risk another pony’s life by sending in another pegasus. Nopony could fly like her, and she barely escaped with her life. Huffing, she looked up at the dwindling rain clouds. Even if she could justify pulling rain away from the fire line, it probably wouldn’t have much of an effect on Sugarcube Corner. Worse, was that she knew she wouldn’t even be able to find it again through the smoke.

There was nothing she could do.

The impenetrable darkness was suffocating. Rarity’s horn failed to illuminate anything, no matter how much magic she channeled into it. The inside of her parents' home was completely alien without the aid of her eyes. She stumbled through the toxic smoke almost aimlessly. At the very least she knew which direction the stairs were from the front door.

By the time she stumbled onto the stairs, it already felt as though she were drowning. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t breathe through the smoke. Her lungs rejected the smoke, but the coughing just drew in more. Although she was lucky not to run into any fire thus far, that didn’t make the air any cooler or less caustic.

Halfway up the stairs, Rarity tried to call out after her family, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper accented by a serious coughing fit. The hot dry air burned her throat and, it was at that point, that she realized her coat was already drying. Pushing thoughts of how terrible she must’ve looked from her mind, she stumbled to the top of the stairs where she tripped over something small and soft.

She hit the ground hard. For a moment, she just lied there as she tried to figure out where to go in the inky, suffocating blackness. Tracing out her old home’s layout in her mind, she told herself just to follow the left wall to find Sweetie Belle’s room. As she started to get up, a moment of curiosity compelled her to look behind at what she had tripped over. Even with her horn aglow, all she could make out was a mass of grey. A pillow, maybe?

Putting it out of her mind, she kept a hoof on the wall until she came to the first door—Sweetie Belle’s room. Her hoof reflexively recoiled the moment she touched the handle. It burned! Using her aura, she clumsily worked the handle. The instant the door swung open, a burst of orange light consumed her.

Rarity stumbled away from the burning light. Once she was far enough away, she looked back at Sweetie’s room. It was completely consumed by flames. From her vantage point, she could barely make out Sweetie’s bed and dresser—both being razed by fire. The far wall, the doorway, everything behind that door was ablaze. If Sweetie Belle was in there…

She tore her eyes away as she erupted into a coughing fit. Maybe Sweetie Belle ran to their parents’ room? That had to be it. Not willing to accept any other train of thought, Rarity doubled back through the suffocating smog. She found the top of the stairs by again tripping over that soft thing. This time, she ended up entangled with it on the floor. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw nothing but grey, pink, and purple. “Swee…?” she managed to choke out before devolving into a coughing fit.

The little filly wasn’t moving. Please be okay! her mind begged as she placed her head against Sweetie’s chest. Although it lasted but a second, time for Rarity dragged on for nearly an eternity before she felt movement. Slowly and subtly, Sweetie Belle’s chest expanded and retracted. Relieved that she was at least still breathing, Rarity nuzzled her sister’s face. She didn’t stir. A coughing fit reminded her just what must be wrong with Sweetie. She was drowning in the smoke.

I have to get her to fresh air! Getting up to her hooves, Rarity enveloped Sweetie Belle in her aura and started carrying her downstairs. She made it about halfway. One misstep and she tumbled down. Luckily, Sweetie Belle managed to fall right on top of her. Grabbing her little sister again in her aura, Rarity scrambled to hooves and tried to figure out where the door was. The smoke seemed even thicker than before—if that was even possible.

Rarity made several stumbling steps before a deafening noise threw her off of her hooves. The whole house seemed to shake and shudder. Rarity paid it little mind. She scrambled to figure out where she had dropped Sweetie Belle. Finding her just a few feet away, Rarity started towards her. She didn’t make it far. Another crash sounded from above as part of the burning ceiling came down.

The burning debris came down on Rarity. She was knocked flat to the floor as a searing pain blinded her to everything else. A muted scream was all she could muster through the smoke as she flailed her front legs, trying to escape the flames. It was no use. She was pinned!

Daring to look back at what inflicted her agony, she found a flaming crossbeam across her hip. Seeing it actually made the pain in her back half worse. Tears formed in her eyes as she desperately tried to focus. She closed her eyes, sending tears down her cheeks, as she tried to lift the beam with her magic. At first, she couldn’t get any magic to build up in her horn through the pain. Redoubling her efforts, she managed to shift the weight just enough for her to pull herself free.

Once her back hooves were free, she laid there a moment waiting for the surge of pain to pass. After the worst of it passed, she tried to stand. Bad idea. Her hip felt like it was still simmering in the fire, but the moment she tried to put any weight on it a new, stronger agony stopped her dead. It was broken.

She wasn’t going to be walking out, and the fire was already spreading.

Using her front legs, she dragged herself forward. Every inch jarred her mangled leg, renewing her suffering. It seemed to take forever, but Rarity managed to crawl over to Sweetie Belle. Her sister wasn’t the only thing she found. Sweetie Belle was on top of the front door! The exit was right next to her!

Rarity struggled to pick up Sweetie. Her flickering, blue aura lifted the filly just high enough that her little hooves dragged across the ground. Rarity hovered her sister through the smoke until she couldn’t see her anymore. There wasn’t any wall, so Sweetie must’ve made it out of the house. At least, that’s what Rarity told herself.

The exit and safety couldn’t have been more than a few feet away. With her leg the way it was, it might as well have been a thousand miles for Rarity. She lowered her head as she closed her eyes. She let out a few weak coughs as she tried to ignore the pain in her hip.

This was it. Rarity realized with a strange sense of calmness that she wasn't going to leave alive. Although she wasn’t too afraid of her impending death, she couldn’t help but to worry that she was going to found as a blackened, burned, and messy corpse.

As her breaths drew shallower and the flames lapped at her hooves and tail, a masculine voice sounded from beyond the smoke, “Hey! Is anypony in there!?”

Rarity tried to speak, but her lungs refused any more than the smallest of gasps. She couldn’t even muster the strength to raise her head.

“Don’t go in there!” a second voice warned. “It’s too dangerous. Let’s just get this filly to the hospital.”

She might not have been able to speak or move, but Rarity still had one, fleeting chance of being discovered. Channeling all of her magic into her horn, it started to glow. It flickered briefly before extinguishing.

“Did you see that?”

“Focus, Turner! We need to get this filly to the hospital—now!”

Rarity tried to breathe life into her horn again. It didn't work. She didn’t even have the energy to keep her eyes open. The voices faded into nothing as the smoke and ash smothered her consciousness.

“I know I saw it! A glimmer…”

Containment

Inferno

Chapter 02

Containment

Several pegasi gathered on a massive cloud system above Ponyville. Below them, the fires were being inundated by nothing short of a torrential downpour. “It’s almost time for Celestia to raise the sun. Please tell me you have some good news to report this time,” Rainbow Dash demanded once the last of the pegasi arrived.

“Thanks to the help from Cloudsdale, we seem to be winning,” Raindrops confirmed. “The southern line is receding.”

The pegasus next to her, Thunderlane, saluted in turn. “The eastern line is making huge strides as well.”

“The northern line is holding steady, but we definitely have it contained.”

“The western region is looking good. Fully contained, but we are having trouble pushing the flames back.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Good. If we have full containment, we can shift our personnel to rescue and recovery operations,” she announced. “South, North, and West Teams, send any pegasi you feel comfortable doing without to help the rescuers on the ground. They are pushing in from the east. East Team, use any spare ponies to redistribute the heaviest rain to help those on the ground.”

The pegasi saluted each other before darting off in different directions. Dash flew along with Thunderlane to the eastern edge of the fire. They parted ways as Rainbow headed down towards the ponies coordinating the rescue efforts. Alongside Twilight and the mayor, was the Princess of the Night: Luna. Unlike everypony else under the hammering rain, Luna’s mane and coat were clear and dry.

“Hey,” Rainbow huffed a greeting as she landed in front of the trio. She took a moment to catch her breath as they looked to her. “We’ve got it,” she said, forcing a smile. “The fires are 100% contained. I’ve asked the weather teams to spare anypony they can to come help with the rescues.”

“Finally, some good news,” Twilight replied.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “We should have the fires extinguished soon enough. How’re things going down here?”

The trio looked to each other before Luna stepped forward. “We have done well to save everypony that we could,” she stated, looking down at the soaked and weary pegasus. “However, as we feared, not everypony was able to escape the fires.”

“How-how bad is it?”

“Fourteen,” Mayor Mare spoke up, her voice carefully measured. “Seven mares, six stallions...a-and a filly.”

Dash’s eyes widened before she looked back at the blaze. They had just now gotten the fires under control. The rescue teams haven’t even had the chance to check most of Ponyville. “Th-that many? Already!?”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s not even counting how many have been taken to the hospital.” Her voice cracked as she continued, “It’s...I can’t believe this is happening.”

Dash took a lingering look at the fires before turning back to Twilight. "The weather teams can handle things on their own at this point, especially with Cloudsdale's help. What else can I do to help?"

Twilight considered it a moment before rocking her head, urging Dash to follow her away from Luna and the mayor. Once they were out of earshot Twilight turned to face Rainbow Dash. "I know I should tell you to keep working with the weather teams or help with the rescue effort. However there is something else I want you to do for me," she explained. "I know it's selfish, but I haven't heard from any of our friends since this whole thing started. I'm worried sick about them." Twilight shook her head. "I wish I could go check on them myself, but I'm needed here."

Dash hung her head. "I don't know about everypony else, but I—" she breathed out a long sigh, keeping her gaze away from Twilight "—I got Pinkie and the Cake twins out earlier."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "That's good news, right? Why do you look...ashamed?"

Rainbow finally looked up, her tears masked by the rain. "I-I couldn't go back! Pinkie told me they were still in there, but I could barely get her and the twins out. I just-I couldn’t go back in there after them!”

Twilight took a deep breath and released it before speaking up, “You mean that Mr. and Mrs. Cake are…?”

Dash hung her head. “There… I wish there was something I could have done! But there wasn’t. I couldn’t do anything and now… Now they’re gone and it’s my fault!” Rainbow spun round, kicking nearby puddles. “Pinkie’s never gonna forgive me! I wouldn’t blame her if she hates me!”

Twilight quickly got to Dash’s side. She tried to put a hoof on her shoulder, but Rainbow batted it away. “You don’t know if they made it out or not, right?” Twilight asserted as Dash kept her gaze firmly away from hers. “Even...even if they didn’t—I know you, Rainbow Dash. Everypony does. You’d do anything, risk everything, to help somepony in need.”

“Then why did I leave them behind!?” Dash shot back, glaring at Twilight. “Why didn’t I go back!? I didn’t even try!”

Twilight’s ears folded back. After an agonizing moment of silence, she sternly spoke, “You made the right choice. I can’t say I know much about the situation, but I know you. I’m sure you did what you had to do.” Draping a wing over Dash, she pointed back towards the blaze. “We’ve gotten it under control. We couldn’t have done that without you—at least not this quickly.”

Dash shrugged the wing off, taking to the air. “If I made the right decision, then why do I regret it?” she shot back. “I’ll go check the boutique,” Rainbow curtly announced as she took off.

Twilight watched the rainbow trail vanish into the fog of rain and smoke. She hung her head before heading back over to Luna and the mayor. “Wh-what now?” Twilight asked, looking to Luna.

“I have royal guards helping with the search and rescue as well as inquiring about the source of the fire,” Luna announced. “This is your relief effort. The calls are yours to make,” she continued, looking at both Mayor Mare and Twilight.

“Our first priority should be to make inroads to get any ponies still trapped in there out,” Twilight asserted. The mayor nodded her approval.

Rainbow Dash hadn’t even thought about her tragic decision for hours. She had been so busy coordinating relief efforts that she hadn’t time to come to terms with what had happened. And then, like a bit idiot, she took her frustrations out on Twilight.

Landing next to Rarity’s door, she gave it a sharp series of raps. Later, she told herself as she pushed the destructive thoughts from her mind—a mantra she’d used too often in the past several hours. Several seconds passed, and the door didn’t open. Dash knocked again. Nothing, again. Getting fed up, she tried the handle. It was unlocked.

Stepping into the boutique, she called out, “Rarity? Are you home?” Taking wing, she started to explore. Rarity wasn’t in the shop, her workshop, the kitchen, either bedroom—not even the bathroom. She wasn’t here.

Flying out the nearest window, Rainbow headed straight up. Where could she have gone? she wondered as she looked about. She could have gone to help with the fires. Most everypony else did. Anypony that didn’t go help with the fires…

Dash turned her gaze to the Ponyville hospital. She felt a lump in her throat as she gazed upon it. “No…”

A few seconds later and Rainbow Dash was already in the jam-packed waiting room. There was a crowd clamoring both around the reception desk and a wall off to the side. Not one for waiting, she flew above the crowd and to the desk where a blue nurse braved the desk alone. “Hey! I’m looking for somepony!”

“So is everypony else!” an indignant voice sounded from the crowd.

As the clamor rose to a din, Nurse Tenderheart shouted out, “Everypony! Please! I will try to help everypony, just—one at a time, please!” After the outburst the crowd quieted considerably. “Good. Now, if you give me a name I can tell you if they are here and what their status is only. Don’t forget that we don’t know all of our patient’s names. We have pictures up on the wall over there,” she said, pointing to the wall where several other ponies had gathered. “Should anypony recognize any in those pictures, please bring the picture here and identify them.

Rainbow Dash was lucky enough to get a spot near the front of the line. The ponies ahead of her sometimes asked for names she never heard of. Sometimes the names seemed to trigger a sense of nostalgia. Still other names were familiar enough to make her cringe. The worst was when one of the ponies asked for a name she barely recognized and the nurse told the poor stallion that she passed away.

Finally, Dash’s turn came and she clopped her front hooves up onto the desk. “Pinkie Pie,” she demanded, not even waiting for the nurse to acknowledge her.

Flipping through pages in the log book she nodded and looked up. “Treated and discharged.”

“Pumpkin Cake.”

“Stable condition.”

“Pound Cake.”

“Stable condition.”

Rainbow Dash sighed as the next name lingered on her tongue, not wanting to be spoken. “C-Carrot Cake.”

The nurse flipped through the book a couple of times before looking up with a shake of her head. “Not here,” she denied before pointing to the wall with pictures. “You can check to see if they’re on the wall.”

“What about Cup Cake?”

The nurse sighed and turned to the book again. “Not here.”

Rainbow Dash hung her head in defeat. As she breathed in and out, she tried to think, to do anything, but nothing came.

“Next?” Nurse Tenderheart asked.

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash urged as she put her hooves on the counter again. “I’m not done. What about Rarity?”

Frowning slightly, she turned a few pages. “Critical condition.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened as her pupils shrank. “Critical!? Is she okay?”

Tenderheart shook her head. “I can’t say.”

Dash leaned in, frowning. “Can I see her!?”

”If you are an immediate family member, I can give you a visitor’s pass. Due to overcrowding, I can only allow one family member per patient,” Tenderheart explained studying the book before her. “It says here that Rarity is a unicorn.”

Rainbow clenched her jaw and just barely suppressed the desire to growl. “Fluttershy! What about Fluttershy!?”

Nurse Tenderheart started going through the book, but hesitated. “Wait, a yellow pegasus? Pink mane?”

Dash nodded emphatically. “Yes!”

“She is a volunteer nurse here. We don’t have the staff to handle this kind of disaster, so she offered to help us,” Tenderheart explained. “She’s helping tend to the injured.”

That sounded like Fluttershy, all right. That just left one pony on Dash’s mind. “Is Applejack here?”

One more pass through the book and the nurse shook her head. “Not here. I’m sorry.”

Grunting, Dash flew away from the desk and headed straight for the wall of photos. She cringed as she actually saw it. Each picture was a still face—eyes closed—picture. The faces were all smudged with ash and some of them quite burned. Right next to each face was another picture with a cutie mark to help identify the unknown ponies. The only thing that made the wall a little less awful was the fact there couldn’t have been more than a dozen faces there.

Dash’s eyes skimmed over the pictures and only stopped on the very last one. It was a picture that had no accompanying cutie mark. Snatching it from the wall, she rushed it back to the main desk.

“I know who this is!” Dash announced, clopping the picture down onto the desk.

The pony Nurse Tenderheart was attending to glared at Dash as the nurse picked up the picture and turned it over in her hoof. On the back was a room number. Setting it down next to the book, she turned through the pages. “What is her name?”

“Give me a visitor’s pass,” Dash defied.

“What?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Dash.

“You’re not gonna let me see her otherwise,” Rainbow shot back. “Give me a visitor’s pass, and I’ll tell you.”

The nurse looked down at the picture and sighed. “Here,” she said, draping a band over Rainbow’s head. A card was dangling from it; a visitor’s pass.

“Her name is Scootaloo,” Rainbow said.

Tenderheart scribbled the name in. “She is in critical condition. You can find her in room 311.” The words barely left her maw and Dash was gone, leaving nothing but a burst of wind and a rainbow trail.

After racing up a few floors and down a couple of hallways, Dash found room 311. Inside, on a lone bed, was a tiny, orange filly. The sheets were pulled up to her chest and she wasn’t moving. There was a machine Dash couldn’t identify hooked up to a mask over her muzzle and an IV bag and tubing leading down to her foreleg.

Dash found her way to Scootaloo's bedside, her eyes never leaving the filly. Although her face was still, it looked as though she was in pain. The smoke and soot left Scootaloo's hide marred with patches of black and grey. Gingerly, Dash brought her hoof to Scootaloo's cheek. She didn't stir. Drawing her hoof back, Dash ran it through Scootaloo's mane. It felt matted and rough. Even a cursory glance revealed that the fires got close enough to scorch the hairs.

“I wasn’t there for you, either,” Dash softly spoke, looking away from Scootaloo. She squeezed her eyes shut, heralding tears down her cheeks. “I left you behind, just like everypony else. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh!” a voice sounded from across the room. “Excuse me, miss?”

Dash quickly wiped away her lingering tears before looking up. There, in the room’s entryway, was a unicorn doctor she didn’t recognize. He had a white hide and a greying mane. His face was just starting to wrinkle in old age.

He smiled at her. “I’m glad we had a family member show up after all,” he said, grabbing Scootaloo’s chart from the base of her bed. “Can you tell me her name?”

Rainbow locked her eyes on Scootaloo again. “Scootaloo,” she said, her voice wavering oh-so-slightly. “Wh-what’s wrong with her?”

After scribbling the name on the chart, the doctor sighed. “The same thing that’s wrong with most of the ponies here—she breathed in too much smoke. It’s...kind of like suffocating or drowning. The smoke prevents you from getting air. Unfortunately, smoke can be worse since it’s effects linger, too,” he explained, checking Scootaloo over and looking at the equipment. “She’s still struggling to breathe.”

“She’s going to get better though, right?” Dash desperately asked.

The greying stallion shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know,” he admitted. “Her O2 stats… I mean, she breathed in a lot of smoke. She's alive, but there have been no indications thus far that she is improving. At this point, it's hard to tell if she will ever wake up.” The doctor trotted over and put a hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “There’s still hope.”

As much as she hated it, Rainbow Dash just couldn’t stop her breaths from catching in her chest as tears overflowed. “I-I should’ve been there…”

“I’m not sure there is anything anypony could have done,” he offered as he pulled his hoof back. “Just be here for her now. She’ll need it.”

The doctor left without another word, leaving Dash alone with Scootaloo, her thoughts, and her regrets.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t say how long she’d been there at Scootaloo’s bedside, whispering apologies, empty promises, and confessions to the unresponsive filly. All she knew was the sun was out, and Twilight was still waiting for her to tell her about their friends.

Everypony was accounted for—everypony but Applejack. Dash really wasn’t that worried about her. There were acres of orchards between Applejack’s farmhouse and the fires. There was no way the Apple family was in any danger. The only way something could have happened to her is if she decided to go help with the fires. If that was the case, then there was no telling where Applejack could be.

As much as she hated to, Rainbow had to go. Running her hoof through Scootaloo’s mane one last time, she whispered a goodbye to the filly. After prying herself away, she headed back into the busy hallways. Halfheartedly walking over towards the nearest window, something caught her eye.

“Rarity?”

Looking around to make sure she wasn’t drawing any attention, she darted into the room. Unlike Scootaloo’s, this room had two beds. Much like Scootaloo, both ponies had tubes and breathing equipment hooked up to them. Rarity was in the closest bed. Half of her tail had been burned away and she had an enormous cast on her right thigh. The other bed held Sweetie Belle. She looked just like Scootaloo—marred and charred by the fires.

Rushing to Rarity’s side, she tapped her cheek with a hoof. “Come on, Rarity. Wake up,” she urged. She didn’t stir. “Sweetie Belle,” Dash said, zipping to her bed side. “Somepony has to be able to wake up!” she demanded, rocking the bed with her forehooves.

“Is everything all right in here?” a sweet voice sounded.

Dash spun round to face a familiar nurse. “F-Fluttershy! Please, tell me what’s wrong with them!”

“Oh! Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy greeted, rushing over to hug her. “I was so worried about you and everypony else.”

“I’m fine,” Dash claimed, pushing Fluttershy away. “Rarity isn’t!” she asserted, pointing.

Fluttershy sighed as she looked Rarity over. She gingerly pulled up the sheet and checked the mask on her face. “I heard that she got hurt saving Sweetie Belle,” Fluttershy said, turning to Dash with a smile.

“How can you smile at a time like this!?” Rainbow nearly shouted. “Just look at Rarity!”

Fluttershy’s smile faltered just a bit. “I-I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but if-if I don’t smile then I’ll cry.” She shook her head, struggling to keep her smile. “If I start to cry, I don’t...I just don’t think I would be able to stop.”

Rainbow’s anger evaporated completely. “Sorry, Fluttershy. I just… I don’t know. So many ponies are in trouble—suffering—and I can’t do anything to help them!” she confessed. “I’ve never felt so...so…”

“Helpless?” Fluttershy suggested.

Dash nodded. This time when Fluttershy hugged her, she returned the embrace. “I hate this, Fluttershy. How could something like this have happened?”

“I don’t know, Rainbow Dash. I just don’t know.”

Shortly after the sun arose, a royal chariot descended from the sky. It clattered down right next to Twilight and Luna. From it stepped the regal figure of Princess Celestia.

“Princess!”

“Big Sister.”

“Greetings, Princess Twilight. Luna,” Celestia returned the greetings. She fixed her gaze on Twilight. “You have my sincerest apologies, Twilight. I came as soon as I could. I have been busy rallying support for Ponyville from all across Equestria.”

Twilight nodded, pulling her rain-soaked mane back with a hoof. “I’m just glad you’re here,” she said, smiling.

“What can you tell me?” Celestia inquired, taking stand next to her sister as she looked out at the blazes.

“We have separated the blaze into five isolated fires,” Luna announced. “It is only a matter of time until the fires are completely extinguished.”

“Estimates are that fifty to seventy percent of Ponyville suffered major damage from the fires,” Twilight added, her ears drooping. “Last I heard, at least thirty ponies have died. I...I knew most of them.”

Celestia draped a wing over Twilight. “This must be so very hard on you. Know that you have done well. From what I have heard, you have handled this crisis deftly.”

“There is more, my sister,” Luna spoke, taking the time to gaze about. She leaned in close, keeping her voice low. “I have had our guards investigating the source of the fire.”

Celestia looked her sister in the eye, giving her full attention. “What have you found?”

“In a crisis like this, it is only natural to hear of a few different stories, but there have been no less than two dozen conflicting reports of the fire’s origins—all of them spread out all over Ponyville,” Luna explained, keeping her voice just loud enough for Celestia and Twilight to hear. “The hospital alone put out three separate fires in three different rooms all within minutes of each other.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean to say…”

Luna nodded. “This was no accident.”

Up in Smoke

Inferno

Chapter 03

Up in Smoke

Out in her fields, Applejack watched as Celestia raised the sun up over the horizon. Usually, this would be a joyous occasion. It was the official start of the work day. But today she shouldn't have been able to watch the sun rise. Her crops were scheduled to get rain first thing this morning! Above her, the morning sky awoke, free and clear of any clouds at all.

"Dangit, Rainbow Dash! Did yah oversleep again!" Applejack shouted at the sky.

Cursing her luck, she reared up onto the trunk of a nearby tree. Examining a low branch, she assessed just how much they needed to be watered. Days without water parched them, but the yield could certainly be salvaged if they got rain in the next day or two. "Dash, yer gonna get it," she muttered as she tried to rearrange her schedule in her head.

Applejack scanned the skies again. She'd half-hoped to see a rainbow she could take her frustrations out on. Instead, the sky just grew bluer as the sun crept higher. Turning her gaze towards Ponyville, she could see a grey haze through the orchard trees. Her rain was still waiting for the weather teams to mobilize it!

Giving a frustrated grunt, she headed off. A few minutes later and Applejack ran into Big Mac at the barn. The big, red stallion was hauling an empty cart out of the barn. "Hey, Big Mac," Applejack greeted. "I'm gonna go an' tend to some of the animals."

"No rain," Big Mac said, looking up at the clear sky.

"I swear, RD can be so irresponsible sometimes. I'll bet yah she's still in bed," Applejack fumed.

"Nope."

Applejack turned to find Big Mac's gaze fixed on the sky. Following it, she found a rainbow trail zipping towards them. Before Dash even had a chance to land, Applejack started laying into her, "This is the last straw! The rain's supposed to be clearin' up by now an' you ain't even gotten it started yet! Why, I got half a mind to—"

The shouting came to a dead stop as Rainbow crashed into the ground a few feet from the Apples. "Dash!" Applejack shouted as she rushed to the pegasus's side. "Are yah okay!?"

"Sorry, Applejack," Dash said, getting to her hooves and shaking the bad landing off.

"Are yah hurt!? Yah look awful! An' yah smell like a bonfire," Applejack replied. "What happened?"

Rainbow Dash swayed a bit as she looked between Applejack and Big Mac. "You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

Casting a glance over her shoulder, all Rainbow saw was trees blocking out half the sky. There were no signs of smoke and just a few clouds. Looking back, Dash ran a hoof through her mane. "I just—Applejack, there was a huge fire last night. It was… I've never seen anything like it."

Applejack's eyes widened as she glanced to see Big Mac wearing an identical expression. "H-how bad is it? Did anypony get hurt?" she pressed.

Rainbow grimaced. "It's… I just talked to Twilight. She said—" she swallowed, trying in vain to remove the lump from her throat "—she said that half of Ponyville was...it-it's just, gone."

Applejack stared at Dash a moment before snapping to her senses and turning to Big Mac. "Apple Bloom left to get to school a few minutes ago!"

Instantly, Big Mac unhitched himself from the cart. "On it!" he said, galloping off.

"I hope nopony got hurt," Applejack said, turning back to Rainbow Dash. The pain in the pegasus's eyes was all the answer she needed. She reached up and pulled off her hat, pressing it to her chest. "H-how many?"

Rainbow shook her head. "A f-few dozen. That's all we know right now. There are still a few fires we're trying to get out and we have tons of stuff to search and…" Dash trailed off, hanging her head.

"What about our friends? Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie..."

"Twilight and I have been fighting the fires. I got Pinkie to safety and Fluttershy's at the hospital helping out," Dash explained. "Everypony's okay, e-except for Rarity. She—I saw her at the hospital. She's really hurt."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

Dash shook her head. "I-I really don't know, Applejack."

Applejack's eyes shifted back forth a moment before she put her hat back on. "Right. I'll be right there," she announced, bolting towards Ponyville.

Rainbow struggled to catch up to Applejack. "Whoa! What're you doing?" she urged, flying alongside Applejack.

Applejack didn't even glance over at her. "Yah said it yerself that Rarity's in trouble! I'm gonna go do...do somethin'!" Dash swung out in front of her, forcing her to stop. "What the hay, Dash!?"

"Look, I know how you feel," Rainbow insisted, staring Applejack down. "I really do, but there isn't anything you can do. They won't even let you in the hospital."

"What do yah mean 'won't me in?'"

Dash shook her head. "They're so overcrowded they won't let anypony in unless they're directly related."

Applejack just stood there a moment, trying to take that bit of information in. It wasn't just her friends that were in trouble. All of Ponyville must have been suffering. Applejack took several deep breaths as she looked between Rainbow Dash and her farmhouse.

"If you want to help out, I'll talk to Twilight She'll know what you can do to really help," Rainbow offered. "She's dying to know you're okay, anyway."

Applejack nodded. "Tell...tell her the Apples're gonna do whatever we can to help." She looked around the orchard a moment. Cementing her decision with another nod, she turned back to Rainbow Dash. "I figure there's a lot of hungry ponies out there working hard to help everypony."

Dash nodded in turn. "That's a good idea. I'll still go talk to Twilight and see what she says."

Furrowing her brow, Applejack licked her lips. "Do me a favor, RD?" she asked. "On yer way back out, tell Big Mac we're havin' a family meetin'."

Dash nodded. "Okay." Spreading her wings, she took flight.

"An' let me know if anything happens with Rarity at all!" Applejack called after her. "An' take care of yerself! Yah look awful!" She watched Rainbow Dash zip out of sight before turning around and heading for the barn. Galloping inside, she quickly hauled several bushels of apples onto the cart Big Mac left. With the cart loaded down, she hitched herself to it and headed straight for the farmhouse.

"Granny?" Applejack called out as she entered the house with a basket of apples on each of her sides and one on her back.

The wrinkly mare poked her head out of the kitchen. "I was just washin' up the dishes," Granny Smith greeted. "What brings yah back so soon? I didn't go an' fall asleep an' miss half the day again, did I?"

"Naw, Granny," Applejack replied, heading into the kitchen. She set the apples down next to the counter. "Somethin's happened. I'll let yah know jus' as soon as Big Mac gets back. 'Til then, why don't yah give me a hoof? We're gonna be cookin' up a storm today."

Granny let Applejack's worrisome behavior roll right off her back, not showing a hint of worry or trepidation. Instead, she just gave her granddaughter a nice, warm smile. "I'll get the stove relit," she offered. "I'm assumin' we're gonna be needin' the sugar and flour from the pantry, too?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'm gonna go haul some more apples in. I'll let yah know as soon as Big Mac gets here."

The two mares hadn't even gotten anything on the stove before Big Mac came in with Apple Bloom in tow. As soon as Applejack and Granny entered the room, Apple Bloom was complaining, "Sis! What's goin' on? Big Mac came an' got me an' told me I had to come home, but he ain't said a word why."

"Right now, the grown-ups need to talk, Apple Bloom," Applejack insisted. "Go on up to yer room. I'll be up to talk to yah in a bit."

"What!? No way!" Apple Bloom indignantly refused. "Yah stop me from goin' to school an' then jus' tell me to go to my room? Why?"

"I said, 'go to yer room!'" Applejack snapped, her tone harsh enough to wipe the defiant look from Apple Bloom's face.

Apple Bloom tucked her ears back as she dragged herself towards the stairs, muttering "it ain't fair" under her breath.

The trio waited to hear the hoofsteps above them before speaking. Of course, Granny Smith had already been more than patient enough. "Now, who's gonna tell me what's goin' on?"

Applejack sighed as she pawed at the floor. Given Big Mac's reticent nature, it was going to have to be her. "I don't know all the details, but Rainbow Dash showed up this mornin' sayin' that we didn't our rain 'cause there was a big fire in Ponyville." Granny didn't reply, urging Applejack to continue. "Dash said that half of Ponyville went an' burned to the ground last night. Said that a lot of ponies got hurt, or worse. An' even still, half of 'em gotta be homeless now."

"How awful," Granny said.

"I can't stand by an' do nothin'. I don't think any of us can. It ain't the Apple way," Applejack asserted.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

"We should do whatever we can to help," Applejack insisted. "I was thinkin' we could cook a bunch of food an' haul it over. I'm sure a lot of the ponies there ain't got a proper bite to eat." Granny Smith and Big Mac both nodded in agreement. "Granny an' I can handle the cookin'," she went on. "Big Mac, I was thinkin' you could clear out the barn and set up cots. We could let some ponies stay there tonight if they can't find a proper bed."

"I'll get to it," Big Mac said, turning and heading out.

Granny put a shaky hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "Yah gone an' made all these decisions, puttin' off yer chores an' jus' givin' away our apples."

Applejack averted her gaze. "Yeah, Granny. B-but I can't just..."

Granny Smith wrapped her other forehoof around Applejack, hugging her. "I'm so proud of you, Applejack. Yah put what's really important first, even if yah don't consider anythin' else." The old mare stepped back, smiling at Applejack. "An Apple would never let their neighbors suffer, even that means sufferin' ourselves. You are yer mother's daughter."

"S-shucks, Granny," Applejack muttered, looking away and blushing.

"Now, I'm gonna get to cookin'," Granny said, turned back towards the kitchen. "You have a little sister that needs a good talkin' to."

Applejack sighed as she looked at the stairs. Apple Bloom had every right to know what was going on, but actually telling her was not going to be a pleasant task. "Ponyfeathers," she muttered, heading for the stairs.

Lingering outside of Apple Bloom's room, Applejack mustered her courage as she tried to run lines of what to say through her head. Finally certain of the rehearsed dialogue, she knocked on the door and let herself in. "Apple Bloom?"

The filly was on her bed. At the sound of her name, she looked up, giving Applejack an apologetic look. "What did I do this time?" she asked.

Applejack frowned, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yah ain't done a thing wrong, sugarcube. Don't you worry about that."

"So, why'd Big Mac come and get me? Why'd yah yell at me an' tell me to come here?"

Applejack hung her head a bit. "I, uh, I'm sorry about bein' short with yah, Apple Bloom. It weren't nothin' you did."

Apple Bloom tilted her head a bit. "If I didn't do nothin', then why did yah yell at me?"

"I was—I am upset," Applejack admitted, moving over and sitting on the bed next to Apple Bloom. She sighed as she tried to remember the lines she'd rehearsed in her head. She had forgotten every single one.

Apple Bloom couldn't remember the last time she saw her sister look so uncertain. "Is...everythin' okay?"

Applejack shook her head. "No, it ain't," she blatantly told her sister. "You see, there was… Last night, a fire started in Ponyville."

"A fire?"

Applejack nodded, getting up and heading for the window. "Look," she said gazing out towards Ponyville, but all she could see was a grey-black haze that blended into the sky. Is it still burning? she wondered as she waited for Apple Bloom to approach. As Apple Bloom set her forehooves on the sill and looked out, Applejack removed her hat. "It spread all over," she explained. "Rainbow Dash said that-that fires spread over half of Ponyville. You didn't go to school today 'cause it just ain't safe for yah to go into town. We don't even know if the school is still there."

Apple Bloom just stared slack-jawed at the grey blob off in the distance. "Y-you mean the whole school is gone?"

"It might be," Applejack replied, putting her hat back on and turning away. "I haven't been to Ponyville yet. I'll get there later today."

"I-I don't... What's everypony gonna do if the school's gone?" Apple Bloom asked, following after her sister.

"It ain't just the school, sugarcube. Houses, shops, maybe even the library and city hall…" Applejack trailed off, sighing. "All up in smoke."

Apple Bloom shook her head. "H-How can something like that happen? Why wouldn't Twilight stop it!? She's a princess!"

Applejack rubbed her neck. "Hey, I know better'n most how amazin' Twilight is, but, somethin' like that—I'm sure she did everything she could to stop the fire."

"Is everypony okay?" Apple Bloom asked, looking up at her sister.

Applejack sat down, draping a hoof over Apple Bloom's withers. "N-no, Apple Bloom. A lot of ponies got hurt in the fire."

"Are Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo okay!?"

Applejack's eyes widened as her maw fell open. She mentally kicked herself for not thinking this far ahead. "I-I wish I knew, Apple Bloom, but I ain't got a clue. I didn't think to ask Dash when she was here, sorry."

"Well, find out!" Apple Bloom insisted.

"I'm gonna head into Ponyville this afternoon. I'll be sure to ask around then," Applejack offered.

"What!?" Apple Bloom incredulously asked, jumping away from her sister to stare her down. "It's barely past dawn! I can't wait that long! What if they're hurt!? What if they need me!?"

"I know how you feel, Apple Bloom," Applejack said, keeping her voice calm and steady. "Rarity's hurt an' I know my other friends ain't exactly takin' this whole mess well, but there just ain't a lot I can do to help them. We have to trust that the ponies there in Ponyville will take care of them."

"That ain't good enough!" Apple Bloom snapped. "I need to see them! I need to know they're okay!"

Applejack frowned. "Too bad," she curtly said rising to feet and meeting Apple Bloom's glare with one of her own. "Yer not to leave this farm until I know it's safe!"

"That's not fair!"

"No, it ain't," Applejack replied heading for the door, "but yer still not goin' anywhere. I ain't gonna have yah gettin' hurt like everypony else!"

"I can take care of myself!" Apple Bloom shouted after her sister as she pulled the door shut.

Applejack sighed to herself as she stood on the other side of Apple Bloom's door. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she marched down the stairs. As much as she wanted to actually go to Ponyville and see it with her own eyes, the best thing she could do for everypony would be for her to fix up a feast. She'd get to go to town soon enough.

Maybe Rainbow Dash'll show back up. Surely she knows how Apple Bloom's friends're doin', she thought as she entered the kitchen. She plastered on a smile for Granny Smith. "Let's get cookin'! I'm sure Ponyville's starvin'!"

Aftermath: Applejack

Sneaking past Applejack and Granny Smith—that was the easy part. Her big brother was a bit trickier. Big Mac was hauling stuff out of the barn. That meant Apple Bloom had to wait for Big Mac to duck in, run and hide behind a tree, and wait for him to come back out. Then, when he'd go back in, she'd move again. It took several cycles, but, finally, Apple Bloom was out of sight of the farmhouse.

She giggled to herself once she had successfully snuck away. With her sister cooking and Big Mac doing...whatever it was he was doing, nopony would even notice she was gone for hours! Her rush from sneaking away was quickly shattered as she finally got an unobstructed view of Ponyville.

It wasn't there.

Grey pillars of smoke rose up from blackened husks that were only occasionally accented by a splash of color from a pony. Apple Bloom stumbled into town, transfixed on the charred skeletons of homes and businesses. Many of the ponies were outside of the charred areas. Those that lingered amongst the ashes were anything but the normal, cheerful ponies typical of Ponyville. Most of them were just sitting in front of a charred skeleton of a house, staring at nothing. The rest were crying, or talking, or shouting.

It was really like she wasn't even in Ponyville at all. However, as Apple Bloom trekked through, the damage eased until it seemed as though she had stepped into the Ponyville she remembered. And, like an oasis, there was the schoolhouse, untouched by the blaze.

Inside, she found a classroom devoid of fillies and colts. The only other pony that was there was Cheerilee. The instant she walked in, Cheerilee put on a smile and trotted out from behind her desk.

"Apple Bloom," she greeted. "You know, we aren't having any classes today, but I'm here for anypony that might need to talk to me."

"Where is everypony?"

Cheerilee shook her head. "They're with their families, Apple Bloom. I'm sure you've seen-seen what happened here in town. How are the Apples?"

"My sister an' Granny're cooking up a feast to bring here to help out. Not sure what Big Mac's doin'."

Smiling at Apple Bloom, she continued, "That's good to hear. I'm glad you're all okay."

Apple Bloom looked up at Cheerilee. "Is everypony here okay?"

Cheerilee's smile melted away as her ears drooped. "You-you've seen what it's like out there, right?" She sat down next to Apple Bloom, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Half of the ponies in Ponyville have lost their homes—everything they own—overnight. Nopony in Ponyville is okay. Even those that didn't lose their homes are bending over backwards to help those that are suffering."

"Wh-what about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?"

Cheerilee bit her lip a moment. "Well, Apple Bloom," she said, choosing her words carefully, "I don't know about most of your classmates. Only a few have come in and...I haven't gotten word about most of them. I haven't heard anything about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."

"Do you think they're okay?"

Shaking her head, Cheerilee sighed. She took a step back and used a hoof to make Apple Bloom look at her. "I won't lie to you, I'm worried," she spoke slowly and seriously. "I did hear that one of your classmates got hurt in the fires."

"Who? Are-are they all right?" Apple Bloom asked, her voice wavering.

"It was Silver Spoon," Cheerilee explained, shaking her head a bit, "and, no, she's not okay." She finally broke eye contact with her, looking away and sighing. Mustering her nerve, she locked eyes with Apple Bloom again. "Silver Spoon...passed away last night."

Apple Bloom's mouth fell open as her thoughts stopped dead. She just sat there for several seconds before the urge to breathe spurred the gears in her mind to mesh again.

Turning her head, she fixated on the desk next to hers. Yesterday, just yesterday, Silver Spoon was sitting right there, making her life miserable. She was...gone?

Finding it hard to remember to breathe, she looked to the other empty desks. If Silver Spoon was gone, who else might she never see again? "I-I gotta go find Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!"

In a flash, she was galloping out of the classroom. Cheerilee called after her, "Stay away from the burned areas! They're too dangerous!"

Cheerilee's protests fell on deaf ears. Apple Bloom headed straight back to the ash-strewn streets. Sweetie Belle's parent's house was close, and that was smack-dab in the middle of the disaster.

Apple Bloom only slowed down when Sweetie's house came into view. Some houses burned to nothing but piles of ashes, others managed to become charred skeletons. Sweetie's house still stood. The roof had burned away and caved in, but the walls stood defiant. The sight had her in such a daze that she didn't notice the small crowd of ponies gathered in front of it until she accidently bumped into one of them.

Shaking off the blow, the looked around at the ponies. Gathered there were a few royal guards, a couple of ponies in white adorned with red crosses, and a few bystanders. They were circled around two shapes with sheets draped over them. Apple Bloom only got to see them for a couple of seconds before a royal guard noticed her. He quickly stepped in front of her, obscuring her view.

"Hey! This is no place for a filly!" he said in a gravelly voice.

The other ponies quickly moved to corral her away from the scene. "It's Apple Bloom," Roseluck said, walking her away. "I'll see her home."

"Wh-what's goin' on?" Apple Bloom demanded, constantly looking back over her shoulder. "Where's Sweetie Belle?"

"Sweetie Belle...Sweetie Belle was taken to the hospital last night," Rose said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "You don't need to worry about her, she'll-she's going to be okay. All right?" Once they had gotten out of sight of Sweetie's house, Rose stopped. "Now, can I trust you to get back to Sweet Apple Acres on your own?"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "I ain't goin'! If Sweetie's at the hospital, then I'm goin' there! An' I still gotta figure out if Scootaloo is okay!"

Rose quickly moved to cut Apple Bloom off. "No," she firmly denied. "Fillies have no business being here, and they won't let you in the hospital, either. Go. Home."

Apple Bloom stared her down for some time. Rose never faltered. "F-fine!" Apple Bloom shouted. She turned around and started heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

A short distance later, and Apple Bloom chanced a look back. Rose was still watching her. "Ugh!" she groaned, resuming her march. "I ain't just some helpless little filly," she muttered.

By the time lunchtime started to roll around, Applejack was already on her way towards Ponyville with a huge cart of apple treats. She'd made it about halfway towards Ponyville when she came across an odd sight. Sitting there, under a tree just off the path, was her little sister. She glanced over to Ponyville before looking back to Apple Bloom.

"Now here I thought I told yah not to leave yer room," Applejack spoke up, unhitching herself from the cart.

Apple Bloom shook her head a bit, her gaze never lifting from the ground. "Yah said not to leave the farm."

"Didn't I tell yah not to leave the farm?" she restated, sitting down next to Apple Bloom.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom muttered.

Applejack sighed, draping a hoof over Apple Bloom's withers. "I didn't just worry 'cause it ain't safe. In a situation like this… There's a lotta stuff a filly just ain't got no business seein'."

"Yeah."

"Yah wanna talk about what yah saw?" she pressed.

Apple Bloom started to shake her head, but stopped before looking up at her big sister. "Miss Cheerilee...she said that Silver Spoon-Silver Spoon died."

Applejack rubbed Apple Bloom's back. "I'm sorry, sugarcube," she muttered. "I know it ain't easy losin' somepony yah care about."

"But I don't… I didn't care that much about her," Apple Bloom admitted, keeping her gaze on her hooves and the grass between them. "Diamond Tiara an' Silver Spoon were always makin' fun of us an' bein' mean. Now I just… I'm scared." She looked up as tears began to spill over. "They said that Sweetie Belle's in the hospital, but that I can't go see her! An' I don't even know about Scootaloo or anypony else!"

Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her little sister, drawing her into a firm hug. "I know, Apple Bloom. Dash told me this mornin' that Rarity was in the hospital. I been worried sick ever since." Apple Bloom just kept sobbing into Applejack's shoulder. "Tell yah what, why don't yah come with me to Ponyville. We can find out together just how everypony's doin'. It's just...you gotta be prepared to get more bad news." Pulling her sister away, she looked her in the eye. "Can yah handle that? If yah can, I'll bring yah along."

Apple Bloom sniffed, swiping at her eyes. "I just… Yeah, I think so," she muttered, nodding.

"Come on," Applejack insisted, getting up. "If peace of mind is what yah need, we'll go an' get it."

With her little sister in tow, Applejack headed towards Ponyville. It didn't take the duo long to approach the charred streets. "This...this is awful," Applejack muttered as she trudged through the ashes.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom muttered.

"Are yah sure yer okay?" Applejack asked, looking over her shoulder to her little sister.

It took Apple Bloom a couple of seconds to pry her eyes off of the ruined buildings. "I-I need to know if they're okay."

Applejack bit her tongue. Maybe it weren't such a good idea to bring her along.

Before she knew it, Applejack was approaching a large crowd of ponies as she neared the center of town. She easily found the pony she was looking for; Twilight was standing in the middle of the commotion. "Hey, Twi!" Applejack shouted as she neared. "Did RD tell yah I was comin'?"

"Applejack," Twilight greeted, a weary smile gracing her muzzle. "Rainbow Dash said that you were bringing food."

"Yep, an' I wanted to let yah know that Big Mac's clearin' out the barn. By this evenin' I figure we'll be able to put up a couple of dozen ponies," Applejack explained. "How is everypony? Yah don't look so good yerself."

Twilight shook her head. "I'm just a little tired," she dismissed, "though I am glad to hear that you and the rest of the Apple family are helping out." Her gaze fixed on the filly next to Applejack. "You, uh, you brought Apple Bloom with you? Do you really think that's wise?"

Applejack sighed. "Apple Bloom done run off here on her own," she explained. "Now she's gone an' worried herself sick about 'er friends."

Twilight grimaced at the news. "Uh, hey! We've got relief stands set up over here. Let's get your apple treats out here where everypony can come and get them." She hastily led Applejack over to a nearly barren food stand. Instead of levitating Applejack's baked goods off of the cart, she joined the farmer in offloading the apple dishes by hoof.

Applejack glanced back to see Apple Bloom sitting there where they left her. She wasn't sure if she'd picked up that Twilight wanted to talk to her alone or if she was just so out of it that she didn't notice them walk over to the stand. "Is it that bad?" she asked.

"Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are both in the hospital," Twilight revealed, keeping her voice low. "I don't really know the details, but Rainbow Dash seemed really worried about it. And if Rainbow Dash is that worried… It can't be good."

"I was afraid of somethin' like that." Applejack paused in efforts to unload the wagon as she looked back to Apple Bloom. "What am I supposed to tell her?"

"Just tell her that they're in the hospital and that they're going to be okay," Twilight suggested.

"Are they?"

Twilight shook her head. "I...don't know."

Applejack looked to the half-empty cart and urged Twilight to stop unloading, "Wait, I...I know what I'm gonna do. Twilight, can I trust yah to watch after Apple Bloom for a bit?" Receiving a nod from Twilight, she hitched herself back to the cart and marched over to Apple Bloom. "Are yah gonna be okay if I leave yah here with Twilight?" she asked, nudging the catatonic filly.

"Is it bad?" she asked, looking up at Applejack with big, watery eyes.

Applejack sighed. "Twilight said that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were both in the hospital, but we don't know how well they're doin'," she explained, putting a hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder. "I'm goin' there right now. I'll force my way in if I have to, but I'm hoping a bribe'll do," she said, motioning over her shoulder at the remaining apple treats. "I'll come an' tell yah what I find out as soon as possible, all right?"

"Okay," Apple Bloom said, nodding.

It didn't take Applejack long to get to the hospital, and, with half a cart of treats behind her, she quickly received a hero's welcome. Giving the nurses permission to distribute the baked goods to the staff, patients, and family, Applejack made her way to the front desk. To her surprise, the nurse gave her a pass without any trouble at all and told her to head up to the third floor.

The next thing she knew, Applejack found herself just outside Scootaloo's hospital room. The sight before her nearly made her smile. The little filly lied there in her bed, and Rainbow Dash had her head resting in her hooves. Both of them appeared to be fast asleep.

She stood there for a short time before a doctor started by. Applejack was quick to catch him. "Pardon, but can yah tell me how this filly's doin'?" she requested, pointing over to Scootaloo.

The tawny unicorn nodded. He poked his head into the room a moment before quietly moving over to Scootaloo's bedside. He checked the monitors there and consulted the chart. He took a moment to scribble in something before replacing it and heading back to Applejack.

"Well, I can't say it's looking very promising," he said, sighing.

"How bad is it, doc? Is she gonna be okay?"

He rubbed his neck. "Well, at this point it's hard to say," he revealed. "She's unconscious, and she is not responding well. There are no signs of improvement since she was brought in early this morning."

"Wh-what does that mean?" Applejack asked, looking back over at the motionless filly.

"She's breathing on her own, which is good," he explained, "but other than that, she isn't very responsive. Her life isn't in immediate danger. However, if things don't improve, she may not wake up."

Applejack stared slack-jawed a moment before shaking off her shock. "Th-there's nothin' yah can do?"

He shook his head. "At this point, all there is to do is to watch and wait. I'm very sorry," he said, patting Applejack on the shoulder before trotting off into a nearby room.

Applejack's gaze lingered on the two pegasi for some time before she sighed, shaking her head a bit. Prying herself away, she trotted through the hall looking for the other ponies she came to visit. Brushing past nurses and visitors, she stopped dead when a particular sound pricked her ears. It was a soft, familiar wailing.

Following her ears, Applejack found Rarity and Sweetie Belle in the same room. Both ivory unicorns were stained grey. Sweetie Belle was no different from Scootaloo. She lied, motionless, in her bed.

But Rarity, Rarity was awake. She was gripping a pillow tight to her face, crying. It wasn't like anything Applejack had witnessed before from the diva. She wasn't flopping around, wailing. She was just lying there, hugging the pillow as she softly wept.

Applejack quietly stepped into the room and up to Rarity's bed. "Rarity? A-are yah all right, sugarcube?" she gently asked, brushing a hoof against her shoulder.

She recoiled from the touch, snapping a bloodshot eye open at Applejack. Her pupil shrank in recognition before her eye slammed shut, expelling a tear. She cringed, gripping her pillow tighter. "I-it's awful, Applejack. They-they were right there!" she cried, sniffling and sobbing. "Not even fifteen feet away…"

Applejack swallowed, licking her lips as she struggled to ask the question she dared not ask. "R-Rarity, yah ain't makin' a whole lot of sense," she gently said, moving her hoof over to tap Rarity's shoulder again. "Is-is everypony okay?"

This time, Rarity didn't pull away. She just shook her head, her face still seeded well within her pillow. "Mother… Father… They-if I'd just went there first! If I-I-I'd noticed her sooner I could-I could have saved them! I could have…and I didn't! Now...now they're gone. They're gone and it's my fault!"

The rambling wasn't very clear, but Applejack was still able to piece together the basics. "I-I know yah must be hurtin' somethin' awful, but there ain't no way it's yer fault. Even-even if yah were right there… I mean, just look at you, Rarity. How could yah have saved them like that?"

Rarity shook her head. "I-I don't… I just…" She sniffled, gripping the pillow tighter. "They're gone."

Applejack bit her lip as she scrambled to find something to say. "I-I'm so sorry, Rarity. Is there anything I can do—"

"What am I supposed to do, Applejack!?" Rarity sobbed. "What do I tell Sweetie Belle?"

Applejack glanced over at the still filly. "I, ah, I think when she wakes up yer gonna have to tell 'er somethin'. She's gotta know that...that everythin' ain't all right." Turning back to the sobbing mess before her, Applejack removed her hat, setting it at the end of the bed. "She's still got you, and you still got her. Don't forget that." Applejack sighed as she traced over part of her hat's brim with a hoof. "When I...lost my folks...I don't know how I'd've made it without Big Mac an' Granny Smith."

Rarity let out a whimper as she peeked up at Applejack. "Wh-what did they tell you?"

"Truth be told, I don't much remember the words," Applejack confessed, picking up her hat and putting it on low over her face. "All I remember was learnin' that they were gone forever an' that I was sad, an' angry, an' hateful. I was angry for...for a long time." Applejack sighed and shook her head before locking eyes with Rarity. "Yah need to be there for her. Tell 'er that yah love her an' that there ain't nothin' you ain't willin' to do to help 'er. Then do it. Yer gonna have to be strong, for her."

Rarity nodded and sniffled, but said nothing. Applejack patted her shoulder, but quickly stopped when a series of tiny coughs stole their attention away. Rarity finally shot up and dropped the pillow she'd been strangling. "Sweetie!?"

The tiny filly convulsed slightly as she coughed over and over again.

Rarity uselessly tried to reach out for her little sister, but with her leg in traction, she was trapped. "I got yah," Applejack assured, rounding the bed and pushing it towards Sweetie's. "I'll go get a nurse or somethin'!" she announced as soon as the beds were pressed together. It took Applejack but a moment to dash out and reappear with a doctor in tow.

The brown stallion rushed to Sweetie Belle's bedside. "Oh! It looks like she's coming to," he said as he gently pushed Rarity aside adjusted the mask on Sweetie's face. As she erupted into another coughing fit, the doctor fiddled with the equipment at her bedside. "Look up here, can you understand me?" he asked, leaning over the filly.

Sweetie Belle started to say something, but just started coughing again. She nodded as she continued to purge the toxic particles from her lungs.

"Good," the doctor said, nodding. He grabbed her chart in his aura and scribbled on it. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?"

Sweetie used her forehooves to point at her ribcage. "It-it hurts," she managed to choke out.

"Your chest hurts? Is it a constant pain, or does it hurt to breathe?"

Gasping in a few breaths, Sweetie replied, "B-breathing."

"Given your situation, that is to be expected. I'm going to schedule you for a few tests, just to make sure you're okay." Giving her IV one last glance, he turned back to Sweetie Belle. "The nurses will be in to check on you in just a few minutes."

As the doctor trotted out, Sweetie Belle's head rolled to the side to look at her sister. She blinked a couple of times before her eyes snapped wide open. "Rarity! Mom and Dad are in trouble!" She stopped long enough to choke out a few coughs. "They-they told me to go get you!"

Rarity reached over to place a hoof on Sweetie's. Her mouth opened to speak, but no words came. Looking up to Applejack, she silently pleaded for help. Applejack just shook her head a bit and looked down. Breathing a wavering breath, Rarity reached up and caressed Sweetie's cheek. "I-I'm right here, Sweetie. You're safe now," she assured, grimacing a smile.

"B-but Mom and Dad! They're in trouble! Everything's on fire!" Sweetie said in a panic.

Rarity shook her head as she stroked Sweetie's charred mane. "It's-the fires are out now, you-you don't have to worry about that anymore. There's no more fire."

"Wh-where's Mom and Dad?" she asked, straining to look around.

Rarity's mouth fell open. Her lips flapped uselessly a moment before she wrapped her hooves around Sweetie and pulled her tight against her chest. "I'm sorry!" she managed to choke out as she began to cry again. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie!"

Sweetie struggled against Rarity's tight embrace. "Ra-Rarity!"

"I-I-I tried, Sweetie! I just-I couldn't! I couldn't get them!" Rarity babbled out between sobs. "Only you, only you…"

"Rarity! I-I don't… You're scaring me!"

Applejack intervened, prying Sweetie free from Rarity's desperate grip. "Dangit, Rarity!" she admonished as she helped fix Sweetie's oxygen mask. "Yer makin' it worse!"

Sweetie held the mask against her muzzle as she coughed and wheezed. Looking up at Applejack with big, pleading eyes she begged, "Where's mom and dad?" She glanced away only briefly as Rarity placed a hoof on hers.

Applejack sighed as those green eyes begged her for the truth. Applejack stole a peek at the blubbering mess that was Rarity, then she looked down. "I-I'm sorry Sweetie Belle. Rarity got you out, but she didn't—she couldn't go back for yer folks." Mustering her courage, she locked eyes with Sweetie. "They—your parents—they didn't make it out."

Shaking her head a bit, she shifted her focus between Applejack and Rarity a moment before focusing on Applejack. "You have to go help them!"

"No, Sweetie," Applejack firmly denied, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "The fires were put out some time ago. It's...too late."

"S-somepony has to go find them! They-they could be hurt! Or worse!" Sweetie pleaded.

"They, already found 'em, Sweetie," Applejack claimed, looking to Rarity for confirmation.

Rarity nodded, slowly but firmly as fresh tears fell down her cheeks.

"It-it's too late, Sweetie," Applejack said, moving her hoof to cup Sweetie's cheek. "Yer folks didn't make it. They...didn't survive the fire."

"What? No," Sweetie Belle breathed, shaking her head. "Th-that can't…" Desperately, she snapped her head to the side to look at her sister.

Rarity was still sobbing. "I really, I just… I-I couldn't save them, Sweetie. I'm so, so sorry!" She quickly wrapped her hooves around her little sister and pulled her tight to her chest. "It took everything! Everything, just to save you!" she wailed. "I couldn't… I-I wasn't..."

"I'll, uh, I'll be outside if yah need me," Applejack excused herself as the siblings wept in each other's hooves.

Once outside of the room, Applejack pulled the door closed behind her. She sniffled as she tugged at her eyelids.

"Um, excuse us, miss."

Applejack perked up to see a pair of nurses. One of them had a pink mane and a white coat, while the other was a yellow mare with a two-tone blue mane.

The one with pink hair continued speaking, "Can you step aside? We need to tend to a filly in this room."

"M-maybe y'all should just-just wait a bit," Applejack said, her voice wavering. She paused to clear her throat. "I think they need a minute or two alone."

"They just lost their parents," the pale yellow mare whispered to her fellow nurse.

"How awful!" the other nurse said, covering her muzzle with a hoof.

"I, uh, I don't think I got the whole story. Do yah know what happened?" Applejack asked.

The nurses shook their heads in unison. "All I heard was that their parents passed away in the fire."

"I see," Applejack muttered, absentmindedly kicking a hoof at the floor.

The nurses stepped to the door. "Sorry we couldn't help you more, but we really must see to this filly," the white nurse said.

Applejack nodded as she stepped aside. She did her best to ignore the weeping and shouting as the nurses went in and carted Sweetie Belle out. In fact, she just stood there, statue still, until long after Sweetie disappeared from sight, and Rarity's wails quieted to whimpers. Finally, almost mechanically, Applejack's legs took her back into Rarity's hospital room.

Rarity's weeping had finally come to an end. She just lied there, gripping her pillow for dear life. Applejack's presence didn't even seem to register with her.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, Applejack spoke up, "I know yer hurtin' somethin' awful. I really do." Rarity didn't utter a sound or move a muscle. "Look, yah just...yah can't fall all pieces like that—not in front of Sweetie Belle. She needs you to support her. Yah gotta be strong, for her."

Rarity finally, shaking her head just a bit. "I can't," she squeaked, looking up at Applejack. "I just... I-I-I'm not strong enough."

"Sure yah are," Applejack reassured, patting Rarity's shoulder. "An' even if yer not strong enough for yerself, I know yah can be strong for her. She's yer little sister, and she needs you. Right now, she needs you in ways she don't even know, an' if yah ain't there for her…" Applejack said, shaking her head. "Be there for her."

Again, Rarity didn't speak up. She just gripped her pillow tight as she buried her face in it.

After suffering a nearly eternal silence, Applejack shook her head, sighing. "Yah know, yah ain't gotta do it alone, right? I know of at least five friend's that'll do whatever it takes to help yah out."

Sniffling, Rarity peeked up at Applejack. "So where are they?" she spat.

Applejack flinched at the harshness in Rarity's voice. "Rarity, it ain't like they don't wanna be here," she said. "Everypony'd be here if they could."

"Then why aren't they!?" Rarity demanded.

"Twi's been up all night fightin' fires and coordinating the rescues. She's still hard at work right now. I know RD's plum tuckered out from fightin' the fires, too" Applejack explained. "I dunno why Fluttershy ain't been by. She's helpin' out here at the hospital. Maybe nopony told 'er that you were awake. And I-I dunno what's goin' on with Pinkie."

Rarity didn't reply. She just ducked back into her pillow.

Breathing a deep breath in, Applejack let it out through her nose. "I suppose what it boils down to, is that I'm the only one that ain't totally spent after last night. While you and everypony else were busy fightin' the fire and savin' the town, I was tucked away in bed, sleepin' like a foal." She hung her head. "So all I can do is show up and comfort those that're hurtin', 'cause I wasn't around to actually help everypony when they needed it most."

A few more moments of silence, and Applejack sighed again. "Yah ain't the only one kickin' themselves about what happened last night." Still, Rarity didn't respond. "We'll see yah through this Rarity," she assured. "Yah gotta know that much."

Again, silence. Applejack stood there watching Rarity do, well...nothing. Finally running out of patience, she started for the door. "I really need to get back to Apple Bloom," she said pausing again in hopes Rarity might respond. "I'll come back by when I get a chance. I promise yah that." Sighing, Applejack shook her head as she left Rarity's room.

"What the hay am I supposed to tell Apple Bloom?"

Aftermath: Rainbow Dash

As consciousness filtered back into her mind, the smell of antiseptic reminded Rainbow Dash that she was in the hospital. Only, aside from some sore wings and a dry throat, she wasn’t in any pain. Raising her head, she was blinded by the bright lights. Rubbing her eyes, she found herself fixated on a little filly before her.

That’s right… The fire…

She reached out and caressed Scootaloo’s cheek. “I don’t suppose you’ll wake up, now, huh?” Dash softly spoke. Scootaloo didn’t so much as flinch.

After several moments, Rainbow sighed as she turned away. How long had she been asleep? How were her friends doing? As much as she wanted to stay here at Scootaloo’s bedside, she just couldn’t.

“I’ll be back soon,” she promised the filly as she headed towards the door.

Closing the door, she made a beeline for Rarity’s room. The unicorn sisters were still there, but the room was different from what she had left it. The two beds were pressed together, and Rarity held Sweetie Belle in her hooves. They looked like they were sleeping.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash spoke up as she approached.. “Are you two okay?”

Sweetie didn’t stir, but Rarity raised her head. Her mane was frayed and her eyes bloodshot. “Shh!” she admonished. “She just got to sleep!”

Rainbow shrugged it off with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said with a hushed tone. “Last time I stopped by, neither of you had woken up yet. The doctors were worried, but if you two woke up… Well, that’s great!”

Rarity pulled her sister closer to her as she lied back down. “There’s nothing ‘great’ about any of this,” she said, her voice laced with disdain.

Rainbow Dash’s smile faded away. “Are you okay? I mean, the doctor said—”

“No,” Rarity insisted.

Dash’s ears folded down as she took a step back. “What’s wrong? Is it your leg?”

Rarity visibly flinched at the mention of her leg. “It-it’s not just that,” she muttered, staying focused on Sweetie Belle. “Our parents, they… passed away.”

It took Rainbow a moment before she had the presence of mind to close her mouth, let alone speak. “I-I didn’t know.” Breathing a few heavy breaths, she continued, “I’m sorry. I should have done something!”

“You didn’t know,” Rarity whispered, doing her best to chastise Rainbow’s volume. “What could you have possibly done?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, keeping her gaze locked on the polished tiles between her hooves. “I… don't know. B-but there has to have been something! I can’t… I… I’m not helpless!” she asserted, controlling her volume as best she could, but still disturbing Sweetie. “I’m not…” she repeated desperately as tears spilled over. Squeezing her eyes shut, she spun round and took wing, fleeing from the room.

Did I really even help anypony? Dash found herself wondering as she wandered the hospital’s halls. Every room she passed seemed to be a different rendition of the same horrible thing. Ponies bandaged up, wearing those masks, and tubes attaching them to machines. They and their loved ones were crying, suffering.

This wasn’t even the worst of it. This was the aftermath. The worst of it was last night. Ponies were choked by smoke and burned by the flames, suffering and dying. And where was she? She was at home, comfy cozy in bed, snoring away until it was too late to save everypony.

Rainbow’s thoughts came to a dead stop along with her hooves. In the room next to her Pinkie Pie doted on one of the Cake twins. Reflexively, Dash hid out of sight of the doorway. Peeking around the corner, she watched the vapid pink pony.

“No, no, Pumpkin. Leave that alone,” Pinkie said, her voice tired and hollow. The foal screamed in protest, but Pinkie didn’t seem to react to the wailing at all. “You have to leave the mask on, for now. Okay?” The only reply she got was more screaming.

As much as Rainbow Dash wanted to shuffle off and pretend she’d never come across Pinkie and the Cake twins, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sighing, she dragged herself into the room, her head hung low. “H-hey, Pinkie.”

Pinkie slowly turned to face Dash, a small, sad smile gracing her muzzle. “Oh, h-hey Dashie.” She tried to sound upbeat, but she just couldn't muster the energy. Her gaze fell away as her attention turned back to the fussy foal. She pulled Pumpkin’s tiny hooves away from the mask on her face. “Shhh, shhh.” Although her smile never left, tears flowed down her cheeks.

“Pinkie, I… I don’t know what to say. I know… I screwed up,” Dash said, her throat constricting more with each syllable. “I’m sorry.”

Shaking her head a bit, Pinkie drew a hoof across her face, wiping away her tears. “It-it’s not your fault. By the time you got me and the twins to safety… it was probably already too late.”

“No!” Rainbow Dash shouted, shaking her head. “It is my fault! Pinkie, I-I didn’t even try! I… I never went back for them…” Pinkie didn't immediately reply, though her smile finally vanished. “Pinkie—”

She finally looked at Dash, sending her a wicked glare. She snapped her head away, refusing to so much as look at Rainbow Dash. “Get out.” Her tone was absolutely devoid of compassion.

Dash’s ears folded back. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Instead, she just turned around and plodded out. She’d barely made it into the hall before she could no longer hold her tears back. Taking wing, she rushed back to Scootaloo’s room. Slamming the door behind her, she broke down completely. She flopped her front half onto Scootaloo’s bed, cradling her head in her hooves as her sobs descended into wails.

The sound of a door and hoofsteps stirred Dash from a dreamless slumber. She sat up, her eyes bleary and the fur around her eyes matted. Standing before her was a chocolate, earth pony. She wasn’t dressed as a nurse or a doctor, though she had a pair of glasses and a clipboard in hoof.

She pulled a quill from her short, green mane. “Excuse me, miss. Would you happen to be Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow rubbed her face. “Y-yeah. Who’re you?”

“Oh! Silly me. I’m Keen Quill. I represent the hospital’s legal department.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “Then… what do you need me for?”

“I’ve heard that you were the one to identify Scootaloo here, and that you’ve you been at her bedside pretty much ever since.” She looked over at Scootaloo. “To that end, we’ve got a bit of a problem with this filly.”

In an instant, Dash was alert and doting on Scootaloo. “Wh-what!? She’s okay, right!?”

Keen scratched her head a bit. “I’m not really a doctor. This is more of a legal issue. Perhaps I should explain. You see, the orphanage where she was staying burned to the ground, and those in charge… Well, they, uh, they perished trying to get everypony out.”

Dash grimaced. “O-oh?”

She nodded. “It doesn’t look like there will be another orphanage here in Ponyville for some time, so we’ve been trying to get all those that survived transferred to other orphanages. To that end, Las Pegasus has an orphanage that has already agreed to accept Scootaloo.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Y-you’re going to send her away?”

“She’s scheduled to be transferred later this week,” Keen said. “However, we have run into a bit of a legal SNAFU. You see, all the orphanage’s files were lost in the fire. We were forced to cancel a couple of transfers because some ponies claimed to be adopting those foals. Without any files, they’re having to start the whole adoption process over, but the Mayor has agreed to give temporary custody to any ponies who say they are in the adoption process.”

“I don’t…” Rainbow muttered, shaking her head. “I wasn’t—”

“Perhaps I should be more clear.” Keen interrupted Dash. “The files were all lost in the fire. We are permitted to give custody to anypony who so much as says that they were in the adoption process.”

“So, if I say that I’m adopting her…” Dash kept her gaze fixed on the motionless filly, running a hoof through her mane.

“We would have to give you temporary custody, instead of transferring her to Las Pegasus,” Keen said.

Dash nodded. “And… if I said no?”

Keen sighed. “She would be transferred. It’s as simple as that.” She shook her head. “I know this is a lot to put on somepony without any notice, but this is really the only option to keep her here. Still, it’s your choice to make.”

“If she went to Las Pegasus for a while, then she would come back when the new orphanage is done and everything’s settled down, right?” Dash asked, finally looking up at her.

“No.” Keen shook her head again. “Once she’s transferred, she’ll stay there until she is formally adopted or old enough to take care of herself.”

Rainbow bit her lip as she looked down at Scootaloo. “Can… can I have some time?”

“I’m sorry. I need to know right away. In all honesty, I was just supposed to come here to get a yes or no answer,” Keen replied, hanging her head a bit. “I know a decision like this is huge—and you can still say ‘no’—but this is the only way she stays in Ponyville.”

Dash took a deep breath in, then let it out. “I’ll do it,” she said with a resolute nod.

Keen smiled. “I’ll get the paperwork together.” She scribbled fervently on her clipboard before stowing her quill back behind her ear. “It’ll be a few hours. Will you still be here?”

“Yeah,” Dash muttered, her gazing once more drawn to the motionless filly.

“I’ll come find you when I’ve gotten everything ready,” she said, turning back towards the door.

Rainbow never looked away from Scootaloo. She barely even registered the sound of the door closing. She shook her head as she stroked the filly’s mane. “I can’t do this…”

Revelations

Walking aimlessly through the halls of Ponyville’s hospital, Applejack stumbled on quite the sight. It looked like Pinkie Pie, but she wasn’t smiling. Walking in to the large room, she noticed it was filled with fillies and colts, most of them still dressed in hospital gowns.

“Figures I’d run into yah in a playroom,” Applejack said as she walked up to Pinkie.

Pinkie looked up from the twins, her face twitching as if trying to smile, but it never came. “Oh, hi, Applejack.”

“Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to catch yah before. I, uh, I heard about the Cakes.” She took off her hat, pressing it to her chest. “I’m sorry about that, Pinkie. I really am.”

“Me, too.”

Replacing her hat atop her head, Applejack placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “Hey, we’re gonna make it through this. I know yah must really be hurtin’. If yah need anything, I’m right here. And you got plenty of other friends, too. Don’t forget that.”

“I’m leaving,” Pinkie said bluntly, never taking her eyes off of the twins. “Mr. Cake’s brother should be here soon. They said I could go stay with them in Manehattan.”

Applejack’s jaw fell open as she recoiled. “I-I, Pinkie, are yah sure yah wanna make such a brash decision? Everypony yah know is right here in Ponyville.” Throwing a foreleg over Pinkie’s withers, Applejack pressed a hoof to Pinkie’s chest. “We’re all here for yah, and truth be told, a lot of the ponies around here could use some of that Pinkie Pie cheering-up magic.”

Pinkie shook her head. “I can’t even cheer me up.”

“Hey, cheerin’ somepony up is a job for friends,” Applejack replied. “You of all ponies should know that. You can’t rely on yourself for somethin’ like that.” She paused as her eyes widened. “Wait a minute, when did yah say they were comin’?

Pinkie looked over to a clock hanging high on the wall. “Their train should arrive really soon.”

“Uh…” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m pretty sure they ain’t comin’, Sugarcube. Not today.”

Looking back at her, Pinkie listlessly shook her head. “What?”

Applejack sighed. “This mornin’, real early this mornin’, Twilight chased off a fella sabotaging the railroad tracks. Twilight saved a whole train of ponies from gettin’ hurt, but the trains ain’t gonna run for awhile.”

“But, then where are they? Are they still coming?”

Applejack shrugged. “I figure they sent a Pegasus either way to have any trains comin’ this way turn back. If they’re determined to come to Ponyville, they’ll have to hoof it.” She put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder as she forced a smile. “Why don’t you write them a letter? That way you’ll know what’s goin’ on.”

Pinkie withdrew. She shook her head. “I’ll just wait here…” she said, her voice painfully devoid of cheer.

“Can I do somethin’ for yah? Get yah something?” Applejack asked. “You know, if yah need a place to stay, our door’s always open.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head again. She turned away from Applejack, instead focusing on the twins.

“Pinkie…” Applejack muttered. With a long sigh, she turned away. There, she spied a pony she had completely missed when she walked in. “Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie didn’t so much as flinch at the sound of her name. She just sat against the wall with her head hung low.

Applejack trotted over. “Sweetie?” She put a hoof under Sweetie’s chin, lifting the filly’s gaze to meet her own. Those big emerald eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “H-hey, don’t cry,” Applejack said. “I know it’s hard for yah right now, but you gotta remember you’ve got all kinds of friends to help yah. And don’t forget about Rarity, either. You two are gonna need to lean on each other to get through this.”

Sweetie’s lips quivered as she choked out a sob, sending tears down her cheeks. “Rarity hates me!” She shook her head free of Applejack’s firm hoof. Quivering, she sat there and sobbed.

Applejack stared open-jawed for several moments before she could muster a response. She placed her hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder. “L-look here, Sugarcube. I don’t know if Rarity snapped at yah or what, but yah gotta understand she’s hurtin’ every bit as bad as you are. Even if she said somethin’ mean to yah, I know she couldn’t have meant it.”

Sweetie shook her head, scattering her tears. “S-sh-she hasn’t s-said anything. R-Rarity won’t even look at me!”

Wrapping her forelegs around Sweetie, Applejack drew her into a hug. “Hey, come on now. I’m sure Rarity’s just mourning in her own way.”

Sweetie shook her head again. “She hates me. It’s all my fault!”

Applejack rubbed sweetie’s back, shushing her. “Sweetie, ain’t none of this mess is your fault.”

Sweetie’s grip tightened around Applejack’s neck, her voice soft and unsteady. “But it is. It’s my fault.”

“You’re wrong, sug—”

“No! You’re wrong!” Sweetie snapped, pushing away from Applejack and shaking her head. More tears poured down her cheeks. “I wasn’t s-supposed to be there. If-if-if I hadn’t been there, Rarity—she could’ve s-saved Mom and Dad instead of me!”

“Look at me.” Applejack again forced Sweetie Belle to make eye contact with a firm hoof. “There’s only one pony that is responsible for all the horrible things that’ve happened, and that’s the pony that set the fires to begin with. If you want to find somepony to blame: blame him.” She moved her hoof over to rest firmly on Sweetie’s shoulder. “Don’t you ever blame yourself. There ain’t nothin’ down that road for you, trust me.”

Sweetie stood in a daze. She blinked several times before she sputtered out just two words, “Wh-who? Why!”

Applejack shook her head. “Dunno. All I heard was that Twilight confronted him last night, but that he got away.”

Lunging forward, Sweetie hugged Applejack again as she cried into her chest.

Sighing and shaking her head, Applejack rubbed Sweetie’s back. “We’ll find him, Sweetie. We’ll find him and make sure he pays for what he’s done.”

Applejack trudged toward Rarity’s room. She managed to get Sweetie to finally calm down, but no matter how much coercing she tried, Sweetie refused to come along.

A gentle sniffling stopped Applejack outside Rarity’s room. Placing a hoof on the doorframe, Applejack bit her lip. Already today she saw far too many tears. Everywhere she looked, ponies were suffering. And for what? Why? A dozen rumors echoed in her ears, but she dispelled them with a shake of her head. She came to the hospital to comfort her friends. Blame and punishment could wait.

With a sigh, Applejack stepped forward into Rarity’s room. Applejack plastered on an uneasy smile as she made her way to Rarity’s bedside. “H-hey, sugarcube. How’re yah feelin’?”

Rarity shook her head. Tears unstained with mascara matted her cheeks. Without her makeup, or fake eyelashes, or her hair made up, Rarity looked like a different pony altogether.

“It's just awful, Applejack.” Sniffling, Rarity swiped her tears away, only for fresh tears to take their place. "Sweetie has completely shut herself off from me. I need to help her. I just—already I’m failing so miserably. How am I supposed to be there for her when I’m always making so many mistakes?”

Applejack placed her hoof atop Rarity’s. “We’re all here for you, Rarity. I’ll do what I can to help yah through this, both of you.”

Gripping Applejack’s hoof with both of her forehooves, Rarity stared into Applejacks eyes. “Th-thank you, Applejack.” She tugged on Applejack’s hoof, cradling it to her breast.

The tumultuous beat of Rarity’s heart resonated into Applejack’s hoof. Not wanting to deprive Rarity of whatever comfort she found in the gesture, Applejack leaned in. “I, uh, I talked to Sweetie a few minutes ago, actually. She done told me what’s on her mind, but it’s gotta be you that puts her at ease.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t get through to her.”

Rarity redoubled her grip on Applejack’s hoof. “Wh-what did she say?”

A small smile touched Applejack’s lips. “Ain’t no surprise, really, but she’s goin’ through the same thing you are. She’s gone and got it in her head that… that what happened to your folks is somehow her fault.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s just a filly. How can she possibly think that this is her fault?” Releasing Applejack’s hoof, she swiped at the remnants of her tears.

Pulling back her hoof, Applejack pulled her hat’s brim lower. “Sweetie tells me you two had a fight, the night before the fire. Seems to think that if she’d stayed at the boutique instead, that things might’ve turned out different.” Shaking her head, Applejack sighed. “I tried tellin’ her that it wouldn’t have made a difference, but she didn’t wanna hear none of it. She got real upset when I told her about… wait, have you heard about the stallion early this morning?”

Rarity put a hoof to her chin. “No. No, I don’t think so.” Turning back to Applejack, a delicate eyebrow rose inquisitively. “What does this have to do with Sweetie Belle?”

Licking her lips, Applejack pawed at the floor. Hopefully Rarity would take the news of the mystery stallion better than her sister. “Listen, this is just hearsay and rumor, understand?” she asked, looking back up at Rarity. “I ain’t heard from Twi since, so I don’t know what’s true and what’s a yarn. The story goes that Twilight ran across a stallion before dawn sabotaging the railroad tracks—he was a Unicorn and used his magic to burn ‘em. Twilight chased him off, but he got away ‘cause she had to stop the incoming train.”

Rarity’s eyes widened and she leaned toward Applejack. “Are you saying this is the same stallion that set the fires?”

“Yeah… did you already know that somepony set the fires?” Applejack asked, scratching her head.

Rarity nodded. “Twilight visited me last night. Although she claimed she wasn’t sure, she did tell me that she suspected that somepony was behind the fire.”

“Shoot, I really need to sit down and have a talk with Twilight.” Applejack shook her head. “Anyway, the fact that somepony did this on purpose affected Sweetie somethin’ awful. I reckon a lot of ponies are still under the impression that this was an accident, not some sinister plot by… Celestia-knows-who.”

Sighing, Rarity relaxed back into her bed. “Well, if Sweetie Belle is anything like me, she’ll find some kind of comfort in blaming somepony else.” She closed her eyes and her jaw muscles tensed. “I hope Twilight throws him in a dungeon and throws away the key.”

Applejack nodded. “Given the opportunity, I reckon I’d give him his what-to-for.”

Rarity’s head rolled to the side to make eye contact with Applejack. “Could you try to convince Sweetie to come back in here? I think… I might know what to do now.”

“I’ll do my best,” Applejack said, tipping her hat. Rehearsing her coaxing words in her head, Applejack turned to leave, but slammed into another pony. Staggering back, she shook her head. There in front of her stood Twilight. “Twi! What’re you doin’ here?”

“Well, I came to give everypony an update on what’s going on,” Twilight said, “and to check and see how everypony is holding up. We did, actually. Spike should be in shortly.” She turned her focus to Rarity. “How are you feeling?”

Ears drooping, Rarity shook her head. “My leg hurts, I’m completely exhausted, I’m worried about Sweetie and the thought that I might not have what it takes to get us through this terrifies me. I’m sad and-and angry, and I just…” She sighed, her voice raw and tired. “I’m a mess.”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “I’m really sorry, Rarity.” Running a hoof down Rarity’s foreleg, it came to rest atop Rarity’s ivory hoof. “I wish… I knew what to do to make this all better.” Twilight’s hoof fell away, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I wish I could’ve prevented all of this in the first place…”

Applejack patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Hey now, blamin’ yourself ain’t gonna help anypony. Not like you can go and change the past, either.”

After breathing a long breath in and out, Twilight nodded. “You’re right.” She turned back to Rarity. “We can’t change what’s already done, so we have to do everything to make the future better.” Twilight’s hoof landed atop Rarity’s again. “If there’s anything I can do, just ask.”

A small, tired smile touched Rarity’s lips. “Thank you, Twilight. If you really want to help, Applejack was just about to help me get Sweetie Belle to open up.”

“Of course.” Twilight nodded.

Applejack threw a foreleg over Twilight’s withers, turning Twilight’s attention away from Rarity. “We got the situation figured for the most part. Just need to convince Sweetie to come in here and have a heart-to-heart with Rarity.”

Twilight pointed back toward the door. “Spike and I saw Sweetie in the playroom. We couldn’t get her to talk at all. Spike’s still trying…”

Applejack stepped back, nodding. “Yeah, I had a word with her earlier. Not sure if I made it better or worse, truth be told.”

Twilight hesitated before turning to Rarity and Applejack. “Why don’t we give Spike a few more minutes? Besides, there’s, uh… there’s something I wanted to talk to you two about.” She motioned her horn toward the door, and a flick of magenta magic shut it.

“This about that train mishap?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. “I guess everypony’s heard about it by now.”

“Just rumors so far,” Applejack replied. “I take it that the fella that set the fires really did attack the train?”

Twilight gave another nod. “He sabotaged the tracks. I managed to stop the train and keep anypony from getting hurt, but I…” She looked down and sighed. “I let him get away.”

Rarity’s hooves dug into her bedsheets. “Who?” she asked, her voice low and demanding. “Who did this?”

“His name is Blue Blazes, but we don’t know much more than that at this point.” Twilight shook her head. “When I met him, all he did was try to kill me and-and rant like some fanatic. The scary thing is I don’t know if he’s delusional, or if he really is taking orders from some… thing.”

“Wait, so this guy ain’t even the one callin’ the shots?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nibbled at her bottom lip. “Well… we’re not entirely sure. He might be taking orders, or he might just think he’s taking orders. He seemed… unhinged to say the least. That worries me even more. How could somepony so deranged have enough foresight to sabotage a train?” She sat down and held out a forehoof. “Even if he is taking orders, why would anypony want this wanton death and destruction?” Sighing, she shook her head. “I can’t make heads or tails of it.”

“It’s simple, we find this ‘Blue Blazes’ fella and work him over but good,” Applejack said, thrusting one forehoof into the other. “We’ll get answers from him one way or another.”

Rarity nodded. “Nothing would make me happier than to see him pay for what he’s done.”

Twilight stood. “He will face justice, but we don’t know where he is or who he’s in cahoots with. We don’t even know the first thing about him. All I’ve learned from this morning is that he is a very powerful, very dangerous Unicorn. I’ve never seen pyromancy like that before, and he was even able to teleport away.”

Trembling, Twilight sighed. “I… I’m scared.” She looked to Rarity, then Applejack. “It’s going to take everypony to help track him down and stop him, but…” Shaking her head, she choked back a sob. “I’ve seen too many ponies hurt by him already. He can summon massive pillars of fire and conjure fireballs the size of a cottage, and-and he won’t hesitate to do his worst, either.”

“Twi, you know we’ll do whatever it takes to help you get this guy,” Applejack said, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

“That's just it!” Twilight replied. “Going up against Blue Blazes is incredibly dangerous. I don’t… I don’t think I could protect you girls in that situation. Worse, if we don't try to stop him…” Stepping back, she shook her head. “I mean, look at what he’s done so far, and I know he’s just getting started.”

Applejack shared a glance with Rarity before looking back at Twilight. “Now, I say this with all the love and compassion I got, but it ain’t your job to be protecting us or Ponyville. Sure, if you got the opportunity, go for it. But it’s up to all of us to protect our own.” A small adjustment of her hat and Applejack grinned. “Ain't nothing in Equestria’s about to keep me from making sure this guy gets his just desserts. I’m sure Rarity and a lot of other ponies are with me on that.”

Rarity gave a firm nod. She motioned toward her hind leg still in traction. “If it weren’t for this and Sweetie I would be out there right this instant hunting down that… that-that beast!”

“No!” Twilight stomped a hoof. “Nopony is going after him alone. That’s way too dangerous.” Taking a moment to compose herself, she continued in a measured tone, “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are looking into his past to try to find out what’s driving him and who his associates might be. If we can’t learn where to find him that way, we plan on asking the public as a whole to see if anypony might know where he would be. When we find out where he is, we will take him down—together.”

“Yeah, and what do we do until then?” Applejack replied. “Wait until he comes back and torches the other half of Ponyville?”

“We have royal guards from Canterlot posted all over Ponyville on guard duty around the clock. We're doing everything we can to protect everypony,” Twilight replied, ire clearly present in her voice.

Applejack opened her mouth to retort, but hesitated as the door handle turned. Twilight turned around as the door swung open and Spike stepped in. His little face lit up the instant he saw Rarity.

“Rarity! I’m so glad you're okay,” he said, rushing over to her bedside. “I mean, are you okay? You look terrible.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Rarity tried in vain to revive her coiffure. Applejack walked past her, motioning with her head toward the door. Offering one last glance at Rarity, Twilight followed after Applejack.

Once Twilight cleared the doorway, Applejack pointed down the hall in the direction of the play room. “Come on, let’s go and see if we can’t get Sweetie to come and talk to Rarity.”

With a small sigh, Twilight followed after Applejack. In short order, she fell in step with Applejack. Not looking up from the floor, she spoke, “You know, I keep waiting to wake up… hoping that all of this is some horrible nightmare.”

“That kinda thinkin’ ain’t gonna get you anywhere,” Applejack replied, never so much as glancing over.

Twilight's ears folded down. “I-I know…”

Coaxing Sweetie Belle into talking to Rarity wasn’t the ordeal Twilight feared, though it did take several minutes. After seeing Sweetie to Rarity’s room and sending Spike home, Twilight headed for the last room she still needed to visit: Scootaloo’s. Of course, when she arrived, she found Rainbow Dash at Scootaloo’s bedside.

Gently rapping on the doorframe, Twilight stepped in. “Hey, Rainbow. I stopped by to check and see how everything's going.”

Rainbow looked up at Twilight and grimaced a smile, but it faded away as her ears drooped. “I… don’t know.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?” Walking up to the bed, she noticed that Scootaloo’s breathing equipment had been removed. “She’s doing better, right?”

Dash sighed as she locked her gaze on Scootaloo’s face. “I just—I don’t understand these doctors. She was awake earlier. Her eyes were open and she mumbled, but they say she still hasn’t come out of it. They say she hasn’t woken up.”

“They’re probably waiting for her to become coherent. If she’s recovered that much already, it can’t be much longer,” Twilight said, offering Dash a reassuring smile.

The sullen look on Dash's face remained steadfast as ever. She ran a hoof through the filly’s mane. “They seemed kinda hopeful, but the doctor told me that at any point she could just… stop getting better. Forever.”

Twilight rounded the bed to drape a wing over Dash. “I’m not an expert in this sort of thing, but it seems to me that if she’s recovering so much so quickly, then she’ll wake up soon.”

“What if she’s different? What if she changed?” Dash asked, turning her desperate, watery eyes toward Twilight.

Looking over at Scootaloo, Twilight tilted her head. “What do you mean, ‘changed?’ Why would she be any different?”

“The doctor said I should prepare myself for something like that. He said that-that she went without fresh air for so long that she… she might be—have—brain damage.” Licking her lips, she looked back down at Scootaloo.

A dozen memories of the spunky Pegasus flashed through Twilight’s mind as she gazed at the filly in the bed. The thought that Scootaloo might be any different dared not coalesce in Twilight's mind beyond the present. “H-how terrible.” She looked back at Rainbow. “Do they know for sure?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “They said that I needed to be prepared. Just in case.”

Twilight withdrew her wing, ruffling her feathers against her hide. “I wish there were something I could do,” she said, hanging her head. Rainbow didn’t immediately respond, urging Twilight to look over. Sure enough, Dash’s gaze fixated on the filly. The troubled look on Rainbow’s face made Twilight wonder if Dash was imagining a future even more bleak than the present.

With a sigh, Twilight spoke up, “I also came to talk to you about all we’ve discovered about the situation so far…”

After her ordeals at the hospital, Twilight looked forward to any semblance of normalcy. Researching pyromancy and Equestrian disasters in the comfort of her library would provide just that. Even that little bit of luck proved to be far too optimistic. Mayor Mare stood outside the front door. Surely she came by to talk about some facet of the disaster.

With a measured sigh, Twilight tempered her posture and plastered on a smile. “Hello, Mayor Mare.”

“Ah, Princess Twilight,” the mayor greeted with a bow of her head. “I was hoping I could talk to you about the commemoration ceremony. Since the train incident this morning, there have been calls to postpone the ceremony. There are fears that a large crowd of ponies may… incite another incident.”

“It’s scheduled for the day after tomorrow, right?” Twilight put a hoof to her chin. She pursed her lips as she considered the ramifications. The motive behind Blue Blazes’ destruction remained a complete mystery. A crowd could very well be a target for him, but the biggest obstacle in stopping him for good was the fact that nopony knew where he was or when and where he might strike next. Would it be worth the risk to bait him?

Realizing that Mayor Mare said something and she missed it, Twilight blushed. “Sorry, Mayor, I was just thinking about it. Why don't you hold off on postponing the event until we learn more, all right?”

Mayor Mare nodded. “If you think that's best, but we will have to make a decision by tomorrow. Arranging and rearranging a big ceremony like this is no small task, especially considering how much we still have to do just to get everypony settled back into their normal lives.”

“Of course. I’ll talk to the Princesses and let you know,” Twilight replied. With a parting wave, the mayor started off, finally leaving Twilight alone with her library and her books. Breathing a sigh of exhaustion, she stepped into the library.

“Princess Twilight.”

Twilight jumped at the familiar voice. Before her stood the Princess of the Night. Luna’s face bore no joviality as stared back at Twilight. “P-Princess Luna. Were you able to find out anything about Blue Blazes?”

Luna gave Twilight a firm nod. “The situation may be far more dire than we feared…”

Author's Note

I didn't write the scene between Rarity and Sweetie Belle mostly due to the fact that there wouldn't be a great deal of growth that wouldn't already be covered in future chapters. If the lot of you feel as though such a scene would be integral to the story, I can add it as a bonus chapter or maneuver it into the next chapter.

Specter

Twilight stared at Princess Luna, incredulous. As soon as she had gotten back to her library for a moment's peace, Luna had confronted her with bad news. “What do you mean it’s worse than we feared?” Twilight asked, stamping a hoof. “How could it be worse than this?” She thrust a hoof back in the direction of her door. The stern stare she received from Luna made her wither. “H-how bad is it?”

“Canterlot is officially on lockdown. We are awaiting Prince Armor's arrival to take over the defensive shield around the city. Princess Cadance has already erected a barrier protecting the Crystal Empire,” Luna gravely replied. A quick glance out of the window provided a view of Canterlot, a colorful bubble surrounding it. “My sister and I agree that it would be prudent for you to shield Ponyville as well.”

Recoiling, Twilight shook her head. “I-I mean, I can do a force field big enough to cover the library, but I’ve never even tried to do anything that big.” She licked her lips. “I’ll try my best, but... just what was in that file?”

Luna breathed out a long sigh. “We do not have anything definite or concrete, but the potential situation could be a threat to all of Equestria.” Walking over to a nearby table, she flipped open a folder only containing a few pages. “We do not have much. What we do know is that Blue Blazes was born to a pair of Unicorn cultists.”

“Cultists?”

“Are you familiar with the Followers of Sombra?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t believe so. Do you think this has something to do with Sombra?”

With a resolute nod, Luna continued, “The Followers of Sombra is a group of Unicorns that believe the three pony tribes should have never allied under the rule of my sister and myself. They believe Unicorns to inherently be more ‘worthy’ than Earth Ponies or Pegasi. A thousand years ago, they celebrated the power of King Sombra to enslave the Crystal Ponies. They hoped he would overthrow Equestria.”

“But King Sombra was defeated a thousand years ago,” Twilight said. She shook her head. “Why would such a group still exist today?”

“For a thousand years, the cult persisted. Their numbers dwindled, but those that remained believed in King Sombra’s return. They’ve never really presented a threat before, so they were permitted to follow their beliefs as they pleased—under a certain level of surveillance, of course.”

Holding up a hoof, Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How does this tie in to Blue Blazes and what happened here?”

Princess Luna shook her head. “Blue Blazes’ parents belonged to this cult. When he was a colt, they gave birth to a daughter who bore a striking resemblance to King Sombra. Believing her to be a reincarnation of the tyrant king, they tried to sacrifice Blue Blazes to her.”

“Wait, this would have happened before King Sombra’s return. How could she possibly be a reincarnation?”

“The truth of the matter and what they believed are obviously two different things.” Luna sighed, pulling a photo of a red and black filly from the file. “Needless to say, they were forcibly removed from their parents and placed into an orphanage. This represents the only picture we have of Sombra.”

The adorable foal couldn’t have even been two years old. “Why is this the only one?”

“Shortly after their arrival at the orphanage, it was consumed by fire. Originally, it was believed that there were no survivors, but in the end, there were two bodies missing. We were never fully certain until Blue Blazes resurfaced years later, already committing arsons.”

Twilight nibbled on her lip. If Blue Blazes really believed his sister was King Sombra like his parents, then it was entirely possible that this filly could be the deity Blue Blazes ranted about. But could a little filly call the shots about something this serious? “How old would she be now?”

“A year younger than you, Princess Sparkle.”

“Do you really think she would be capable of orchestrating something like this?” Twilight asked, her eyes inexorably drawn back to the photo of the foal.

“Even if she is not, there is still cause for great alarm.” Luna closed her eyes, breathing out a long sigh. “I cannot express enough my regret in our failures.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“We only kept loose tabs on the members of the Followers of Sombra. Of course, when we learned of Blue Blazes’ involvement, we tried to reach out and contact them.” Luna hung her head, her eyes ducking under Twilight's sight. “They were all gone. Every last one has been missing for at least several weeks. Some of them haven’t been heard from in months.”

“There’s no way you could have known.”

“We should have been more diligent!” Luna stomped, marking a reverberating knock as her gilded hoof met solid wood. “This could have all been prevented.”

Despite her own reservations about what could have been, Twilight tried to find the right words to assuage the livid princess. Honestly, some small part of her wanted to blame Luna and Celestia, if only to mollify her own guilt. “We can’t dwell on what could have been. Blue Blazes is out there, and if this morning is any indication, he isn’t done terrorizing Ponyville.”

Luna nodded. “You are right, of course, Princess Twilight. And now we know who he is working with. We are already disseminating information to the royal guard all across Equestria. If any of the cultists turn up, they will be stopped.”

“Should we tell everypony about what’s going on?” Twilight cast her eyes back toward the door. “They might be able to help.”

“They may also panic, even going so far as to persecute anypony they suspect of working with Blue Blazes.” Luna cupped Twilight's chin with a hoof, drawing the younger princess’s full attention. “In the end, the decision is yours. Regardless, you should take steps to ensure the safety of the good ponies of Ponyville.”

Twilight's eyes widened. “Shield! Right!” Her horn glowed but a moment before she vanished in a flash of magenta light. Reappearing on her balcony, she turned her gaze to the sky. “I can do this,” she muttered, flaring her horn.

A beam of magic shot straight up. It came to a stop high above Ponyville, where it flattened into a sheen that draped over the town. The magic flowed down, forming a dome. As the shield trickled down, it started slowing down before dimming.

Again, Twilight focused her willpower into her horn, sending another beam of magic streaking into the sky. It met the top of the barrier, rejuvenating it. It both regained its intensity and continued its journey toward the ground. One more burst of magic for good measure, and the shield was complete, completely encapsulating Ponyville.

Twilight panted as she wiped her brow. “That took even more effort than I thought.”

“You have done well, Princess,” Luna said, stepping out onto the balcony, “but do not rest easily. It will take a great deal more effort to keep the force field in place. You will also need to address the issue of citizens needing to pass through your shield.”

Twilight tried to put on a hopeful smile, but managed little more than a weary grimace. “How do I do that, exactly?”

A few steps, and Luna found herself at the edge of the balcony. She cast her gaze down at a pair of patrolling guards. “Some of the royal guard has been trained in such magic. I will see to it that those who qualify come see you for assignment and attunement.”

“Me?” Twilight pressed a hoof into her own chest. “Wouldn’t you be more adept at this sort of thing?”

“It is your shield, Princess. You will have to work with them to allow them to weaken certain spots for citizens to enter or exit.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I meant assigning the guards.”

“Do you truly believe that I know Ponyville better than you?”

Hanging her head, Twilight pawed at the floor. “Well, no.”

“Then let us not waste time,” Luna said. She stretched out her wings and took flight.

Twilight rushed after her. “Right!”

Wandering down the halls of the hospital, Applejack came across a familiar room. Inside, Rarity lay alone on a hospital bed. Double checking the room, Applejack couldn’t find any signs of Sweetie Belle. Hesitantly, she raised a hoof to the door frame, giving it a few, weak knocks.

Rarity looked up swiping at her cheeks. “Applejack? What are you doing here?”

After stepping into the room, Applejack rubbed her neck. “I, uh, could get exactly get home. Twi wasn't home either, so I came on back here until she decides to show up and explain what the hay’s going on.”

Rarity blinked a couple of times. “Did something happen?”

“Yah ain't noticed?” Applejack replied, thrusting a hoof toward the window.

Quickly twisting around, Rarity peered out the window. “I don't get it. Is something there?”

“There’s a huge force field surrounding Ponyville!” Applejack said. “It doesn’t cover Sweet Apple Acres, though. If you look real close, you can see a shield over Canterlot, too. Just like that time the Changelings attacked.”

Rarity stretched back over. “I can’t see it.”

Rounding Rarity’s hospital bed, Applejack pressed her head against the bedframe and slid the bed over to the window. “That better?”

“My goodness. It reminds me of when Trixie trapped the whole town.”

Applejack nodded as she moved to stand by the window. “Yeah, but the color is the same as Twi’s magic. So, best I can figure, she’s the one that put it there.”

“But why? And without telling us anything?”

Applejack bit her lip. “I know. It don't sit well with me either.” With a sigh, she stepped back from the window. “I reckon we just have to trust Twilight. I'm sure she's got things well enough in control, otherwise she’d have come and got us to help, right?”

Instead of responding right away, Rarity set her eyes on the enormous cast encompassing her thigh. “Well,” she said, rubbing a hoof gingerly over the cast, “she certainly would have gone to you for help.”

Applejack placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. After Rarity turned her azure eyes to her, she smiled and said, “Hey, if I thought Twilight needed my help the most right now, I'd still be out there looking for her.”

“Oh, Applejack!” Wrapping her hooves around Applejack’s neck, Rarity pulled her into a hug.

Leaning in, Applejack rubbed Rarity’s back. “I’m here for yah, and not just because I’m trapped by that force field, either.” Even though Applejack got little more than a weak chuckle from Rarity, she still succeeded in coaxing some small semblance of happiness from her. Though, it made the next part that much harder.

After reveling in the hug a few more moments, Applejack said with a sigh, “So, uh, I couldn’t help but notice that Sweetie Belle ain’t in here with yah.”

Rarity’s grip tightened at her sister’s name. “N-no, she’s not.”

With a sigh and one last squeeze, Applejack pulled back. “I take it yah couldn’t get through to her?”

Rarity’s gaze fell away as she shook her head. “It’s not just that. I… she has a point, Applejack. I keep going over it in my head, again, and again, and again. What could have happened, what I could’ve done differently…”

“We done been over this, Rare. Yah can’t go and do this to yourself.” Applejack put a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder, though she still didn’t look back up at Applejack. “There ain’t a thing you can do to change what’s already done. Don’t go and blame yourself. Blame that Blue Blazes. And remember, you saved Sweetie’s life. She wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you.”

“You know, when I went inside, I went straight for Sweetie’s room. I knew she was there; she needed me. But… if I’d never had that stupid fight with her, then, maybe, I could’ve helped my parents instead. I could—”

“Now you stop right there!” Applejack grabbed Rarity's chin, forcing her to make eye contact. “Do not do this to yourself, and don’t you dare let Sweetie Belle do it to herself, either.”

“But I—”

“But nothing!” Applejack shouted. “Now you listen here and you listen good. First off, if Sweetie was at the boutique, you never would’ve left it. I know you. Ain’t no way you’re gonna go and just leave Sweetie Belle alone while Ponyville burned, and no way you’re gonna take her with yah to go chargin’ into an inferno. There wasn’t a thing you could’ve done to change what happened. Certainly no way you can go and change any of it, now.”

Rarity’s irises moved the corners of her eyes as she tried desperately to avoid Applejack’s gaze. “I-I suppose that’s true.”

Sighing, Applejack released Rarity’ jaw. “Second, you… you ain’t got a clue how much you’ll regret it if you go on and blame yourself like this, Rarity. I can’t let yah do that to yourself, and I ain’t about to let Sweetie, either. It’ll tear you apart inside.”

Rarity finally looked up as Applejack’s eyes fell away. “Applejack,” she spoke in little more than a whisper, “what happened to your parents was an accident. You cannot possibly tell me that you blame yourself for that.”

Tugging on her hat’s brim, she hid her eyes from Rarity. “They weren’t supposed to be there, you know. I know I was just a filly, and I know it ain't all my fault. But still, sometimes I look at Granny Smith or Big Mac or Apple Bloom and I just… I hate myself.”

Applejack suddenly looked up, a fiery glint in her eyes. “And you’re outta your pretty little head if you think that I’m just gonna stand here and let ya’ll do that yourselves!” An angry hoof stomped on the cool tile. “Especially not when you two got somepony to actually blame for all this. You need to go and blame Blue Blazes for what happened. It’s his fault, and don’t you go and forget it, not even for a second. Hate him, not yourself.”

“Applejack…”

Abruptly turning around, Applejack headed for the door. “I’m gonna go and get Sweetie.”

“Applejack!”

Applejack marched out, her ears deaf to Rarity’s cries.

Hotter than...

A suffocating darkness shrouded everything, enveloping Twilight in an impenetrable cocoon. She concentrated her magic into her horn, but its light was swallowed up by the omnipresent darkness.

“Where am I?”

Even her words fell off into the nothingness. Her breaths came in heavy and quick as she spun round, scanning for any signs of existence outside of the abyss. Blinking, she looked up and down—or at least what she thought was up and down—only to find more darkness.

Her heart began to pound in her chest as the feeling of a nearby presence washed over her. An ear flicked as she spun around again. “Who’s there?” she shouted into the inky nothingness. An icy wind ran by her hide. She yelped as she recoiled from it. “Show yourself!”

The darkness finally gave way, penetrated by a dim, yellow light. It illuminated Twilight’s face, revealing her wide-open open eyes. She slowly backed up, scanning for the source of eerie light. Her flank hit something. It gave a bit, but was icy cold as a grave. She grit her teeth and swallowed before chancing a glance over her shoulder.

The only thing she saw were two glowing eyes, each larger than herself. A guttural growl shook everything, nearly causing Twilight to fall over. She whipped around to face the unseen threat, assuming a defensive pose as she lowered her horn at the unblinking eyes. From the blackness, a great pressure wrapped around her, pulling her deeper into the darkness.

Twilight struggled against the insurmountable force, but the glowing eyes just seemed to rise higher and higher as the thick blackness again enveloped her. This time, the ebony nothingness thickened, drowning the air into a thick soup, pressing on her from every angle and denying her lungs breath. As even the eyes were swallowed up, a sinister laugh echoed through the dark. That was the last thing she heard before her lungs forced her to breathe in the noxious blackness.

A piercing scream resounded as Twilight sat up. Her eyes focused onto the familiar sights of her room as her heart pounded in her chest.

“Twilight! Is everything okay?” Spike asked as the lights turned on.

Taking several deep breaths, Twilight nodded. “Y-yeah… Just a nightmare,” she said, rubbing her face. As her eyes closed, that laughter echoed through her ears as her vision filled with those glowing eyes. She drew a sharp breath as her wings flared out and her eyes opened wide. Twilight leapt from her bed, flying to her balcony. “I-I need some air.”

Twilight stopped, landing at the edge of her balcony as she placed her forehooves up on the railing. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Calm down. It was just a dream.

She opened her eyes to a brilliant array of stars in the sky. The moon proved illusive, hiding amongst trees and hills as it flirted with the horizon. A chill wind blew through her coat, causing her to shiver. Gulping, she licked her lips. “Just a dream,” she told herself again.

“Twilight? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Turning around she saw Spike, leaning out of the door. His emerald eyes shimmered, begging her for an affirmative response. She gave him her most reassuring smile. “I’m okay Spike, really.”

Spike breathed an audible sigh of relief. “You had me worried there for a minute,” he said as he plodded out onto the balcony. “I’m usually the one freaking out over bad dreams.”

Twilight nodded, scootching over just a bit as Spike joined her at the railing. “It must be all the stress. Yesterday was…” She closed her eyes, sighing again before looking back at Spike. “I just hope that I never have to see another day like that again. It was as if all of Ponyville were plunged into Tartarus.”

“Yeah,” Spike said, pointing a claw at the darkened husks littering the ground where houses once stood. “I could see a lot of it from here. I was really scared.”

Twilight got back on all four hooves, turning to look at Spike. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long without telling you I was okay—without telling you anything.”

Spike wrung his claws together. “I, uh… So, how is everypony doing? You said that Applejack and Fluttershy were okay.”

Averting her gaze, Twilight shook her head just a bit. “Physically, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are okay, but they’re both struggling emotionally. I think, if everypony is there for them, they’ll be able to get through this.”

“Wh-what about Rarity?”

“Rarity saved Sweetie Belle,” Twilight said. “Their parent’s house was on fire and Rarity ran in to save them. She got Sweetie out, but…”

Spike’s claws went to his mouth. “D-don’t tell me that Rarity’s—”

“She made it out,” Twilight said. “But… she got hurt. Her leg’s broken. Worse is that she couldn’t save her parents.” She sighed, looking in the general direction of the Ponyville hospital. “She blames herself.”

Spike held a claw to his chest as he gasped for air. “Don’t scare me like that, Twilight.”

Twilight placed a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go visit her once the sun’s up?” She blinked, stepping past Spike. “Did you see that?”

“See what?” Spike asked as he turned around.

“A flash of light.” She stared out in the distance. Sure enough, a flash of blue light erupted, before fading into the predawn light. “That looks like… Fire!” Twilight’s wings flared out as she started flying. “Spike! Go find a pegasus and have them tell the weather teams to be on high alert. I’m going to go see what it is.”

“Will do! And be careful!” Spike called after Twilight as she took off.

As Twilight soared towards the outskirts of town, another plume of light caught her eye. This time, she was close enough to make out the details. It wasn’t another building on fire. It was a pillar of blue flames seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It vanished again several seconds before Twilight finally got there.

Landing where she had seen the fire, she nearly fell over and collapsed. Once she had her balance, she looked down to see what had tripped her up. She was standing on railroad tracks. As she peered through the dim light, trying to get her bearings, her eyes fixated on red-hot steel. An entire section of tracks had been melted away, leaving molten metal and still-burning timbers.

A blue glow caught Twilight’s eye, and she looked down to see the ground beneath her hooves start to glow. Suddenly, a new geyser of blue flames burst forth from the circle of magic, shooting into the sky! A flash of purple appeared nearby, heralding a slightly dazed and singed Twilight Sparkle.

“Eheheh, you’re pretty quick, Princess,” a gruff voice sounded as the blaze gave way to blackness.

Twilight’s wings flared out as she spun around to face the source of the voice. “Who are you!” she shouted even before she laid eyes on the cloaked figure. Even though she couldn’t see his face, she could definitely sense his smug grin.

“That’s not really what’s important, is it?” His words were accented by the distant whine of a train whistle.

Twilight’s head snapped back towards the tracks. By now the steel had cooled, leaving only the flicker of orange flames lingering on the decimated timbers as evidence that anything was amiss. At this rate, the train would run full-speed right off of the tracks!

“Why—” Twilight started to question, but as she turned around, all she saw was a blue fireball heading right for her. Spreading her wings, she just managed to fly over the ball of fire. Setting her eyes back on the mystery unicorn, she shouted down at him. “Why are you doing this?”

“He will return!” the mystery stallion shouted back. “He will rule with fear! His subjects will know terror and anguish! And those who oppose him will only know death!”

He fired another wave of blue fire at Twilight, but this time she was ready. A purple sheen effortlessly bounced the fireball away. “Who?” she shouted back at him, ripping his coat away with a flick of her magic. It revealed stallion with a mane of blue just a few shades lighter than his cobalt coat. He was still smiling.

“Even the might of the false queens will not thwart him! The Elements of Harmony are gone! His power cannot be suppressed again!” Another whistle sounded, this time much closer. “He will erect his kingdom anew, and he will be greeted with the fear and respect he deserves!” His horn flared with an azure glow. Instead of another fireball, a burst of fire enveloped him. It flashed, and he was gone.

“A teleport?” Twilight muttered, scanning for where he had intended to reappear. She never saw it. She scanned everything again. She had to be able to see most everything for ten miles. Even she would have trouble teleporting that far. Did he have a secret hideaway nearby? Or was he just that powerful?

The not-too-distant wail of a train whistle broke Twilight away from her speculation. I have to stop that train! She took off as quickly as her wings would take her. It took her mere seconds to spy the approaching train. Firing up her horn, she vanished.

With a sphere of purple light, Twilight appeared in the engine, right next to the engineer. “Stop the train!”

An earth pony in a blue and white conductor’s outfit recoiled from the sudden appearance of a pony. “H-hey! Nopony is allowed in here!”

“The tracks are out ahead! You have to stop this train, now!”

The conductor’s look of confusion changed to one of resolution. “Hold on tight!” He grabbed a lever and pulled. The train lurched in response as the wheels screeched.

Twilight was thrown off her hooves. As soon as she recovered, she teleported again. Relying on her wings, she hovered above the train as she tried to see where the tracks were destroyed. Catching a flicker of orange, she found the ruined tracks to be just ahead of the train.

It’s not going to stop in time!

Flaring her horn to life, she wrapped the entire train in her aura. With all of her might, she pulled. The train lurched again with the deafening noise of straining, screeching metal. The train ground to a halt, just as the engine’s wheels slipped from the gnarled metal of the tracks.

Her horn faded as she shook her head. She lowered herself near to ground level as the curious ponies started sticking their heads out of the windows. “Is everypony okay? Are there any injured?”

Shortly after dawn, an entire hoard of ponies had appeared at the site of the train wreck. While the bulk of the ponies were helping unload passengers and luggage, dragging them by hoof and by wagon towards Ponyville.

“We’re just lucky Princess Twilight showed up when she did,” the conductor said, nodding at Twilight while he avoided the gazes of Celestia and Cadance. “She saved that whole train, and we were overbooked from relief crews going to Ponyville to help with the recovery.”

“I’m not so sure,” Twilight replied. “Those tracks were damaged close to Ponyville. The train was already slowing down, right?”

The conductor nodded. “That’s right, Princess.”

“I think he wanted to scare everypony, maybe hurt them,” Twilight said. “I don’t think his goal was to… to actually kill anypony.”

“We need to know more about him,” Celestia said as the conductor was led away. “Luna is already leading the search for any records related to this blue stallion. What exactly was it that he said to you?”

Twilight shook her head. “Most of it was just… fanatical nonsense. He definitely thinks that he is doing the bidding of somepony, but I’m not sure if it’s really a pony he’s working for or just a deity he believes he is working for.”

“It might help if we knew who this partner was. Even if it is just some fictional character, it might help us understand who this stallion is and what his goals are,” Cadance said. “Didn’t he say anything about him?”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “He said… uh, something about his subjects fearing him and those opposing him dying. Oh! The unicorn mentioned the Elements of Harmony and that he wouldn’t be suppressed again.”

“Twilight, the Elements of Harmony have only been used a few times,” Celestia said. “First to seal Discord, then Sombra. After that they were used against Nightmare Moon twice, and once more against Discord.”

Blinking, Twilight shook her head. “You really only used them three times, Princess?”

“They were not a tool to be used lightly,” she replied. “And I did not have the heart to wield them again after…”

“He kept saying him, but that only leaves Discord and King Sombra,” Twilight said, quickly filling the silence. “There’s no way Discord would condone this. Even before he was reformed he wouldn’t want something like this. He was all about chaos and disorder, not death and destruction.”

“The last remnants of King Sombra were swept away by the Crystal Heart,” Cadance said. “But if this stallion believes him to be a deity…”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll see if Fluttershy can’t get in touch with Discord. Even if this stallion is just doing this in his name without his knowledge, he can probably do something about it.”

“I-I’ll go back to the Crystal Empire, just to make sure there isn’t anything amiss,” Cadance said as she took wing.

“Be careful,” Celestia said. “Belief in and of itself is enough to be dangerous.”

Cadance nodded. “I will. I’ll write if I find anything at all.”

After watching her depart, Celestia turned back to Twilight. “There cannot be many ponies with the raw talent and power of this stallion. I will go help Luna try to track down who this really is. Are you sure you don’t remember anything else?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m sorry, Princess. It all happened so fast and he got me so flustered and…”

Twilight was silenced as a gilded hoof landed on her shoulder. “You and you alone prevented tragedy today. You saved not only your life, but the lives of all these ponies.”

Turning, Twilight looked on at all the ponies still fawning over luggage and retelling their harrowing tale to any who would listen. “I still can’t believe that somepony is doing this on purpose.”

“Ponyville needs you, Twilight. Now more than ever,” Celestia said. “Yesterday, Ponyville suffered a great tragedy. Today, it finds itself besieged. As word spreads, sorrow will turn to frenzy. They will need a calm voice to reassure and guide them.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, Princess. I know.”

Celestia stepped into her nearby chariot. “I will send you a letter if Luna and I are able to uncover anything.”

“I’ll have Spike send a letter just as soon as I learn anything here,” Twilight replied as the chariot began to take off.

It was midmorning by the time that Twilight got home. Of course, as soon as she got through the door, a baby dragon rushed to greet her. “Twilight! You’re back! I heard there was a train wreck. Are you okay?”

Twilight nodded. “No one got hurt, and that is the most important thing.” She sighed, hanging her head. “I did kind of… let the bad guy get away, though.”

Spike’s eyes widened as he mouth fell open. “What?”

“I didn’t mean to. He just… I underestimated him.”

“Someone tried to attack the train? I don’t…”

“He sabotaged the tracks,” Twilight said. “I’m pretty sure he’s responsible for the fires, too. He was a pyromancer. A strong one.”

“Y-you’re gonna get him though, right?” Spike asked, wringing his claws together. “I mean, he’s the one that hurt Rarity… all those ponies.”

Twilight nodded. “We’ll get him, Spike. We’ll get him.”

Spike grabbed his belly, his cheeks puffing up. With a mighty belch an entire dossier appeared with Princess Celestia’s seal adorning it. It also had a note attached at the front.

“Luna has uncovered a promising lead. Please let us know right away if this dossier belongs to the pony you encountered,” Twilight read the note aloud.

Flipping open the folder, the face from before met her. It was quite a bit younger, but it was definitely the same pony from before. Tearing herself away from the folder, she looked to Spike. “Spike, I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia saying that this is definitely the pony from before.”

She looked back to the file, her eyes tracing over the name at the top: Blue Blazes.

Aftermath: Twilight Sparkle

Twilight swayed a bit as her eyelids fell low over her eyes. She shook her head before rubbing her face with a hoof. Dinnertime came and went, and Twilight had yet to have more than a moment’s rest.

A gilded hoof touched Twilight’s shoulder. She turned to see Princess Cadance giving her a sympathetic look. Twilight struggled to put on a smile. “Yes?”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Cadance said. “You really should take time for yourself. You won’t do anypony any good if you’re completely exhausted.”

Twilight’s gaze fell away. “I-I can’t just leave everypony.”

“All that is left now is to mourn, recover, and rebuild. Right now these ponies need their family and friends more than they need a princess so exhausted she can barely stand. Don’t you have your own friends that need you?”

Twilight’s ears folded back as she whimpered. “I just… I can’t bring myself to leave,” she said, looking out over the desolation left by the all-consuming flames. “I couldn’t protect them…”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Twilight. Even Princess Luna and Princess Celestia weren’t able to avert this catastrophe.”

“They weren’t here,” Twilight said, hanging her head. “I was.”

Cadance sighed. “What about your friends? Don’t they need you, too?”

Twilight averted her gaze. After a moment, she looked back. “Can I trust you to take care of things here?”

“Of course,” Cadance said, giving Twilight a reassuring smile.

With a resolute nod, Twilight started trotting towards the hospital. “Thank you,” she said as she passed.

The moment Twilight set hoof in the hospital, she garnered the attention of the entire lobby. Holding her head high, Twilight reminded herself to stay calm. Walking past the crowd, she made a beeline for the reception desk. “Excuse me,” she said to the nurse behind the desk, “Would it be possible for me to visit a friend?”

Receiving a nod and reassurance from the nurse, Twilight smiled and accepted a visitor’s pass. “Can you tell me where Rarity’s room is?”

“Third floor, room 312,” the nurse said, pointing Twilight towards the elevator.

Giving the nurse her thanks, Twilight hurried into the elevator. She found herself sharing the small box with a stallion and a colt. As she pressed the button for her floor, a tiny hoof tapping on her leg brought her attention to a grey colt with a short, black mane. Twilight gave him her best smile “Yes?”

He looked up at Twilight with big, brown eyes. “Are you here to make mommy better?”

Twilight’s eyes widened as her smile faded away. Before she could muster a response, the stallion pulled the colt away. “Don’t bother the princess, now.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, look…” she said, looking back down at the colt. “I’m not a doctor, somepony I care about is hurt, and I came here to comfort her. That’s why you’re here, too, isn’t it?”

The colt just whimpered as he hid behind his father’s legs. “I’m sorry about that, Princess,” the stallion said as he ushered the colt out.

Waiting a few moments, Twilight stepped out as well. She sighed as her immaculate posture drooped a bit. Walking by room after room, the same scenes played out. Ponies burned and coughing. Sometimes they were alone, sometimes they were with families and friends by their side. It was a far cry from the scene outside. Out there, there were ponies talking about rebuilding, planning their next steps, and trying to salvage their livelihoods mixed in with the wails of despair. In here, there were exclusively tears and regrets.

Finally, she came to room 312. Inside, two hospital beds were pressed together. Rarity was in one, her hind leg in a cast and traction. The other bed was empty. A quick glance around the white, barren room revealed Sweetie Belle sitting with her back in a corner. Her ears drooped down, dragging her head down as well.

Twilight licked her lips as the words in her throat refused to be spoken. For lack of another greeting, she raised a hoof, rapping it on the door frame. Rarity’s ears pricked at the sound, drawing her gaze to Twilight. “H-hi,” Twilight said as she slowly stepped into the room. “Sorry I couldn’t be here earlier.”

Rarity cast her gaze aside, a small frown accenting her muzzle. “It couldn’t be helped, I’m sure.”

Twilight hesitated, her ears folding back. “I… I really am sorry, Rarity. I’ve just been so busy taking care of everything.” When Rarity didn’t respond, she plodded over to her bedside and sat down, reaching a forehoof up to Rarity’s shoulder. “I… heard about your parents. How are you holding up?”

Rarity shook her head. “I just… I-I keep going through it over and over in my head. What I could have done. What I should have done.” She sniffled, her eyes repeatedly darting over towards Sweetie Belle. “They didn’t have to die.”

“Nopony did,” Twilight replied, placing a hoof on Rarity’s. “There… should have been someway, somehow to have prevented this.”

“What am I supposed to do, Twilight?” She shook her head ever so slightly as she fixated again on Sweetie Belle. “I… Sweetie. S-she won’t talk to me. She won’t even look at me!”

Twilight looked back at Sweetie. She was still just sitting there in the corner, staring at the floor between her hooves. “She’s hurting, just like you. Everypony grieves in their own way.” Sighing, she withdrew her hoof, staring at it as it returned to the floor. “I’ve been seeing it all day.”

She closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Sh-she blames me. Me.” Failing to suppress a sob, she swiped at her eyes. “Don’t you understand? It’s my fault our parents are dead! I was right there and I didn’t save them.”

Twilight was on her hooves in an instant. “Rarity, you couldn’t save them,” Twilight replied, pressing a hoof to Rarity’s jaw to coax her to make eye contact. “I’m a princess with alicorn magic, and I couldn’t save anypony.” She then turned her gaze and Rarity’s to Sweetie Belle. “You did one better than I did.”

When Twilight let go, Rarity looked back at her.. “How could something like this have happened?” she asked, her voice cracking.

Twilight licked her lips, her eyes tracing both to Sweetie Belle and to the open door. Her muzzle moved next to Rarity’s ear. “We’re not saying anything because we’re not one-hundred percent sure, but we think that somepony did this on purpose,” she said, keeping her voice low enough that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t hear.

“Wh-what?” Rarity hissed. She thrashed around in her bed, nearly coming out of her traction. “Who?” She grabbed Twilight’s shoulders. “Who did this?”

Twilight pulled the hooves away. “Calm down,” she said in an authoritative tone. Glancing around again, she pulled her attention back to Rarity. “We don’t even know if there really is a somepony, or even if it is just one pony.”

“What kind of monster would do this?” Rarity asked as tears sprang anew.

Twilight shook her head. “We’ve faced evil wanting power, chaos, revenge… you name it, but I’ve never seen anything like this.” She nibbled her lip a moment before sighing. “I… I don’t like admitting it, but I-I really don’t know what to do in a situation like this. I just-I’m trying to do everything I can and I don’t… I don’t know what to do.”

A pair of white hooves snaked around Twilight’s neck, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you,” she said, burying her face in Twilight’s shoulder.

Cradling Rarity’s head with one hoof, Twilight draped a wing over her. “I wish I could do more.”

As draining as this entire day had been, it didn’t hold a candle to visiting Rarity. After leaving Rarity’s hospital room, Twilight seriously considered just leaving and going home. She couldn’t imagine relaxing in a situation like this, but as it stood, she was dead on her hooves. A soft bed, a pillow, and two seconds were all she would need to slip into blissful nothingness.

But no. She had other friends, and they were hurting. Abandoning them in their hour of need was simply out of the question. And so she found herself standing outside another hospital room. Instead of her friend being in a bed, this time, she was at the bedside. Pinkie was sitting next to Pound Cake’s bed. She was just staring at the foal.

“Pinkie?” Twilight said, knocking on the door frame. Pinkie didn’t move. She didn’t even blink. “Pinkie, I-I came to see how everypony was holding up.” Still, nothing. With a small sigh, Twilight stepped in and slowly approached Pinkie. “I… heard about the Cakes. Are you okay?”

“Mr. Cake’s brother lives in Manehattan,” Pinkie replied in an almost mechanical manner. “He says they can take the twins in. They’ll be here in the morning.”

“You don’t want them to go?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie shook her head just a bit. “It’s good they’ll have a place to go… They’ll stay together.”

Twilight gingerly placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you sad about what happened to the Cakes?”

Pinkie finally turned to Twilight, tears dripping down her cheeks. “Why does it hurt to smile?”

Twilight wrapped her up in a hug. She felt Pinkie shudder as she began to cry. Gingerly, Twilight rubbed Pinkie’s back. “Shh… Shh…”

“I just… I-I don’t know what to do Twilight,” Pinkie said, sniffling and hugging Twilight tight. “They said I could come live with them, but I don’t want to leave Ponyville. B-but I don’t want to stay here, either!”

Pulling Pinkie back, Twilight looked her in the eye. “If you need a place to stay, you know your friends will make room for you. And the rock farm isn’t far from Ponyville either.”

Pinkie shook her head a bit. “I don’t know if I want to stay in Ponyville.”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

Pinkie sat down, keeping her gaze locked on the floor. “Everypony is hurting, and I can’t… I can’t even cheer myself up. How am I supposed to make anypony else happy? I don’t… want to be here surrounded by all this sadness.”

Touching a hoof to Pinkie’s chin, Twilight guided her gaze to look her in the eye. “Pinkie, running away isn’t going to help. I could understand you wanting to be there for the twins, but leaving here just to get away from the pain and suffering… Your friends need you right now. You’re needed here, now more than ever. You understand that, right?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I just… I-I don’t want be here,” she said to Twilight as she looked away. “I’ve never felt this way before.”

Sitting beside Pinkie, Twilight draped a wing over her. “I can’t really tell you what decision to make, but I can tell you that, if you run away now, I’m sure you’ll regret it.”

Pinkie wrapped her hooves around Twilight, hugging her tight. “I don’t know what to do. It hurts, and I hate thinking about it, and I was mean to Rainbow Dash. I-I’m starting to think I won’t be happy again,” she said, sobbing. “I’m scared.”

Returning the hug, Twilight resumed the mantra of comforting sounds as she rubbed Pinkie’s back. This continued for several minutes until Pinkie finally calmed down, slipping into a fitful sleep. The poor thing must’ve been up since the middle of last night.

Flagging down a nurse, Twilight got a blanket and pillow. She set Pinkie down out of the way at the foot of Pound Cake’s bed, slipping the pillow under her head and draping the blanket over her. She took the time to check the twins over before plodding back out into the hallway.

Her own eyelids drooped and her hooves dragged. She’d gone days without sleep before, but a lack of sleep combined with physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion was nearly too much, even for a princess. Part of her wanted her to continue her rounds, but her body just cried out for rest.

Blinking her bleary eyes, Twilight scanned the signs. She could come back tomorrow. If she kept this us, she’d be in a hospital bed, too.

Finding the sign to the nearest exit, her pace picked up just a bit. Twilight made it about halfway to her staircase of freedom before a splash of color caught her eye. Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned toward yet another hospital room. This one held a rainbow maned pegasus sitting in front of a hospital bed.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said, prompting the pegasus to look up.

“Twilight? Oh, uh, hey,” Dash muttered, her tone anything but enthusiastic.

As Twilight approached, she identified the pony in the bed as Scootaloo. “How is she doing?”

Dash sighed, her eyes trailing over to rest on the filly’s face. “She still hasn’t woken up, yet.”

Twilight grabbed the chart. She had to blink a time or two to get the words to come into focus. “This… doesn’t look too good.” Chancing a glance up as she replaced the chart, she saw that Rainbow was still fixated on the filly. “H-how about you? How are you holding up?”

Rainbow licked her lips before looking back up at Twilight. “I… I adopted her,” she said.

Staring blankly a moment, Twilight shook her head. “S-sorry, I’m really tired,” she said with a bit of a laugh. “I thought you just said that you adopted her.”

“I had to,” Rainbow replied, looking back down at Scootaloo. “The orphanage here is totally gone. They were going to ship her off to Los Pegasus.”

Twilight shook her head again. “N-no, it takes months, sometimes years for somepony to adopt. You can’t just… Overnight.”

“She said the orphanage lost all its papers,” Dash said. “All I had to do was say I was in the process of adopting her. I did, and I signed some papers. She said that everything should be finalized within a week.”

“That’s incredibly reckless!” Twilight replied.

“We didn’t have much of a choice,” a new voice said.

Twilight spun around to see a brown earth pony. “Wha-who are you?”

“I’m Keen Quill, and I’m the pony tasked with handling Scootaloo’s adoption. I know the situation isn’t ideal, but we have no records and no other way of resolving things.” Leaning over the bed, she handed Rainbow Dash a folder. “You’ll need to retain these files. Her birth certificate and other records will be released to you as soon as everything is finalized.”

Rainbow just stared at the folder. “Y-yeah, okay.”

“You-you cannot do this,” Twilight said, levelling a glare at Keen. “Rainbow Dash is in no position to be adopting a filly!”

“I assure you that she will be properly and fully assessed just as soon as things calm down,” Keen said. “But right now we have a figurative mountain of red tape to plow through. The mayor herself has given the all clear to take whatever shortcuts necessary to get everypony taken care of.”

Twilight turned back to Dash. “Rainbow Dash, you know this isn’t a good idea.”

“Sending her off to Los Pegasus isn’t a good idea,” Dash retorted. “All of her friends are here. This is the only town she’s ever known. She… she can’t even fly, Twilight.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“Letting them take her away, that’s a bigger mistake.”

Twilight turned just in time to see Keen Quill making a stealthy exit. “Wait!” A flash of purple, and Twilight appeared in the doorway, blocking Keen’s escape. “Please, there must be something you can do. I don’t want Scootaloo to be sent away any more than anypony else, but this…”

“The wheels are already in motion,” Keen said, stepping around Twilight. “It’s out of my hooves. The only one who has any say at all is Rainbow Dash.”

After Keen left, Twilight turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow…”

Dash just shook her head. “I have to.”

“Why you? Why not somepony else?” Twilight replied.

“There isn’t anypony else.”

Twilight averted her gaze, shaking her head. “This is a mistake.”

Dash sighed, looking back at Scootaloo. “I know.”

Rubbing the side of her head, Twilight sighed. “I… I’ll think of something,” she said.

Rainbow gave her a small smile. “Thanks.”

Stumbling underneath the starlit sky, Twilight finally made it home. “I’m back,” she called out as stepped inside the library.

In a flash, Spike rushed down the steps. “Twilight! I was getting worried.”

Twilight gave him a weary smile. “Sorry, Spike. This whole mess has had me swamped.” A quick glance showed the library to be immaculately clean. “Thanks for taking care of things here.”

“I heard… what happened. How is everypony taking it?”

Twilight shook her head. “Bad. I mean, Applejack and Fluttershy seem to be handling everything okay, but the rest…” She rubbed her head as she groaned. “I’m going back to the hospital tomorrow. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Are you okay?”

Blinking, Twilight tried to give a reassuring smile, only to succeed in a grimace. “I’m tired, Spike. Why don’t we talk in the morning?” Not waiting for a response, she trudged by Spike and towards the stairs.

“But… I’ve been waiting all day…” Spike muttered, his voice too low to be heard over Twilight’s hooves stumbling up the stairs.