Immortality: Lyra's Suspicion

Nothing happened. Nopony stepped out of the shadows menacingly like they did in the stories Lyra had read when she was younger. Jewel's house was dark, except for a light coming from her kitchen. Lyra quietly tiptoed over to the doorway. Two stallions, one an Earth Pony, the other a Unicorn, stood over a battered Jewel. The unicorn was levitating a bag of jewelry next to him.

"Who was at the door just now?" Hissed the Earth Pony. Lyra tensed. Jewel coughed.

"She was a friend of mine. She should be gone now," she replied. "Let me go now, please." The unicorn laughed.

"We've only raided your kitchen, and we already have enough to buy a house," he replied in a gruff voice. "What makes you think we'd leave now?" Lyra found herself stepping out of her hiding place.

"I do," she said defiantly. The stallions laughed.

"Is this your friend?" The Earth Pony asked. Jewel twisted to look at Lyra. Her hair was scuffed, she had bruises on her hooves, and Jewel was an altogether pitiful sight. Jewel's expression hardened.

"I don't know what she's doing her. We aren't friends anymore."

The unicorn ignited his horn. "It was a mistake to come here, filly."

"I'm a grown mare!" Lyra shouted furiously. The unicorn shot a beam of fire out of his horn. Lyra gasped, but quickly dodged it. The fire hit a hatstand behind Lyra.

"My hats!" Jewel shrieked. "You evil thug!" She suddenly attacked the unicorn. Lyra grinned for a split second before throwing a blazing hat towards the other stallion. He dodged and picked up a chair.

"You're going to throw a chair at me." Lyra wasn't impressed. He nodded, and hurled it towards Lyra. She dodged and turned to look at the damage it had done to the wall of Jewel's house.

"Look out, Lyra!" Lyra turned to see another blast of fire aimed right for her.

Lyra suddenly had another wild idea that could kill her. She faced the attack head on, and absorbed the flames with her horn. Everyone gasped. The unicorn threw Jewel to the floor. A small amount of blood ran through her red and blue mane. Lyra gasped.

She redirected the fire energy and shot it out of her own horn. It made contact with the Earth stallion.

"Curse Celestia!" He howled in agony. While his partner worked to diminish the flames, Lyra rushed over to Jewel. She performed a small protection spell she had learned earlier. A golden glow surrounded Jewel, as visible proof the spell had worked.

"You'll be safe, for now," she whispered to Jewel. She was suddenly shoved forward.

"Aha!" She cried, scrambling forward. The two stallions faced her, the Earth Pony's scalded face filled with hatred and anger.

"You aren't getting out of here alive," he snarled. Lyra backed away. The unicorn once more ignited his horn. Lyra's hooves were suddenly stuck to the floor.

"Let's see how long you last," he taunted, touching his horn to Jewel's table. Lyra watched in horror as flames flickered to life and began to spread over the wooden surface.

"W-what about the jewelry you were planning to steal?" Lyra asked. The stallions glared at her.

"We have enough already. Good bye!" They ran towards the door.

"The neighbors will put out the fire!" Lyra shouted at them.

"You'll be dead before they realize there is a fire!" One yelled back, then they were gone out the door.

Lyra struggled against the spell that had immobilized her hooves. They stayed stuck. Meanwhile, the fire jumped onto the walls and the floor.

"Jewel!" She cried. She tried to levitate Jewel outside, but it was no use. Lyra hoped the protection spell was strong enough.

Lyra looked around for a sorce of water, but found none.

"Could I try a teleportation spell?" Too risky. The fire spread over the floor. Lyra was relieved to see the flames didn't harm Jewel. That relief turned to fear when the fire reached Lyra. She felt searing heat as the fire reached her hooves.

"Oh Celestia!" She gasped as pain coursed through her body. She instinctively tried to back away from the fire, and found it had burned away the spell!

Lyra limped over to Jewel and tried pulled her away. Lyra was horrified to see the fire had grown very quickly- almost everywhere she looked, there was blazing red, orange, and yellow.

Crack! Lyra screamed as a piece of the ceiling nearly crushed her.

Why would those thugs try to kill me for mildly burning one of them? They are insane!

Lyra continued to haul Jewel to the door. The tips of her mane and tail were on fire, and Lyra tried to beat the flames out at the same time.

"JEWEL!" Lyra heard a voice from outside.

"SHE'S IN HERE!" Lyra screamed as loud as she could, then suddenly coughed. She must have inhaled some smoke. The pain in her hooves suddenly returned. It was so hot. Lyra struggled forward as the door was opened by prepared ponies. Seeing them, Lyra knew Jewel would be safe. She collapsed on the burning floor.

Am I destined to die young? First the avalanche, now this...