Conflagration

Chapter 2 : Kindling

Questions float through your head. Questions as to what happened, what would make Twilight angry enough to be willing to strangle you in broad daylight. Through her tone you could tell that something horrible had happened, something to her friends and that you had done it to them. But was she talking about the rest of the main cast? As the rest of everything in Equestria had taken a darker shadow as to what is familiar in the show, there was no way of telling who her friends were.

Who were you? Twilight had called you Ember and the voice that spoke with you before you arrived said that she was an Arcane Mage. It would reason that any pony with a natural ability to use magic beyond the simple levitation and manipulation powers would have been tutored under one of the Princesses or perhaps Twilight herself. But these were all guesses. Who ever Ember really was had made a very convenient exit, to a place where no pony would ever look for her.

By now in any other of the stories, you should have been having lunch with one of the mane six or chasing around one of the more obscure ponies to learn as much as you could about them. It should have been something of a great trip, perhaps even getting some flank. You should have been happy.

Twilight had done a real number on your head, the first blow right near the eye had started to swell. As your eye opened it became painful to try and force the other open as a great pressure was holding it shut. It didn't help the matter either that it felt as if your skull had been broken open, all the joy had leaked out and now only pain remained. A thick throbbing pain that stabbed inward with every heartbeat.

Pushing your body up from the position on the floor, a metal rattling stung the ears. Every limb felt heavy, heavier than the first time you had woken up like this. Through the single open eye you peer down at your hooves. Wrapped around each fetlock was a massive shackle, a metal pin creating the hinge through bent metal with thick iron studs rusted by time held the locking clasp. The locks themselves looked as large as an apple. With the chains that ran between each pair of shackles, they had to weigh close to fifteen pound each. From the front shackles, a large loop held a third chain that ran up to your neck, connecting a collar that hugged tightly.

You brought a hoof up to the tender area on your head, the short chain between the two fore hooves pulled the second one limply with it. The area had crusted over with dried blood, whatever was not caught in the fur had trickled down the side of your face and solidified in lines there.

The eye was tender as well, stinging in pain as you gently prod it. Moving a hoof to the horn atop your head it is met with a tube of metal. What did they call that? The magic nullifying cap, 'studding' wasn't it? That was the only thing you wouldn't argue with, as when you had tried to use your magic, an entire house caught on fire. The entire situation told you that there was probably no way you would learn to use it properly.

If the shackles were not enough, the stone windowless room with a series of steel bars facing a room in the center told you that this was a prison, or perhaps a dungeon. Two other empty cells followed the room in a circle, exactly identical to your own. The space where a fourth cell should have been was walled off with a wooden and steel banded door. There were no beds here, just piles of hay that had seen too many bodies and needed a change, but if the bucket in the corner was an indication of maintenance, there was none. The bucket itself looked as if it would leak, only being held together with the wash of dried sick inside. There was no smell from it, as it had passed ages ago, leaving only the dried remnants of the previous occupant.

The cell was surprisingly bright, brighter than any torch could do. Hanging in the center of the room was a steel-wire cage holding several crystals who's phosphorescence was enough to make out the walls and floors, but not cast any harsh shadows.

There was no way of telling how long you had been in here, or how long you would be alone. Twilight had mentioned months.

It was going to be hard to convince them that the real Ember was gone, possibly to the point where she could never be brought back for justice. As far as any one here is concerned, they had Ember.

Your head bolts up as a metal hinge screeches in the stone room. The reinforced door swings open and two pure black coated guards, clad in the golden armor and holding shortened spears, as the larger ones would not fit through the small passageway where they came. The two stood on either side of the door, shortly there after Twilight Sparkle passed through it.

As she approached the bars to your cell her muzzle lifts in one corner but turns quickly into a joyous grin, seeing you locked up and bloodied. Twilight really hated you, or who she thought you were so much that your pain offered her a slight reprieve from hers.

"Do you know how long I have waited for this day? How long I have wanted to be able to take you into a room, alone?" She asked, her fore hooves on the bars to help her stand on her rear legs.

"Twilight, please. I need you to listen. I-"

"SHUT UP!" She yelled, slamming her hooves against the bars. "You have NOTHING worth saying that I want to hear. You have done nothing but lie to me from day one. GUARDS! Bring her from the cell, I want to speak with her alone."

"Twilight, Twilight, please!" You beg, trying to rock her from the one track mind of revenge she was headed down. Whatever Ember had done to her, it was enough to push her to- well it was your hope that you wouldn't find out what she was going to do.

She didn't listen, rather as the guards came to pick you up from the floor she turned her flank towards you. The mare walked from the room and with shaking hooves you stood up and slowly shuffled after her, the chains between the shackles were short, forcing small strides.

Down the hall there were no windows anywhere, just the lingering stink of mold. The were other doors wrapped in steel bands, but all were open as you appeared to the the only prisoner in here.

Sandwiched between two guards, Twilight led you to the end of the hall where a thicker door made from all wood was already open. In the room was a central drain, fuzzy with rust having eaten at it for what appeared to be centuries. The entire floor was made of the same cobblestone as the walls, but stained a dark rust color. Blood.

In the center of the room was a set of wooden stocks banded with iron for strength. Aside of the stocks was a table covered with a cloth, underneath the shapes of tools silhouetted. Ice crept up your spine, terrified that Twilight was going to use them.

The unicorn motioned to stocks, the guards began to remove the shackles and collar from the front portion of your body. Everything inside wanted to seize this opportunity to run, but that would have looked bad, and if there was anything that was needed, it was to show Twilight that you were not the Ember she knew.

Without the guards guiding hooves, you walk slowly into the wooden restraint, placing each fore hoof into the small wells and putting your head into the proper place. Twilight twists her head in intrigue, thinking that it was a ploy to gain favor, let her guard down. She shuts the top half of the restraint and places a padlock through the hasp.

The guard move to unlock the rear shackles and place your legs in the spread position against the rear of the restraint. This puts you in an awkward position, unable to move with your flank exposed. You hope that some of the larger tools on the table are not related to the medieval counterparts for ruining certain... reproductive organs.

"There is lots I have left to learn about our 'friendship', as much as I would love to end it." Twilight grinned. She then waved the guards away and closed the door.

Nothing of any value comes to mind to say, nothing beyond 'please don't torture me', as it may be promptly dismissed and it merely urge her into doing what she is going to do anyway.

"Where should I start?" She chided, rolling back the cloth covering the tools. Just as you thought, razors, scalpels, saws, hammers and a long iron rod. She paused, looking over the tools, turning around to glance at your expression from time to time, but you remain steadfast not to enrage her.

"Do you know what is the best part about this?" She grabs a scalpel from the table with her aura, lifting it right in front of your face. "Princess Celestia taught me a new spell, one for you." she ran the blade delicately across the side of your cheek, separating the skin, but not enough to cut into the muscles, creating a massively painful paper cut.

Blood started to slowly weep from the wound. With the initial sting past, it just left a pounding sensation. You gritted your teeth in preparation for her to just sink the blade in, but became relieved that it was just a flesh wound.

Twilight closed her eyes. Where the cut had been made began to feel warm, the pounding disappeared and the trickle of blood stopped. She had repaired the area back to new, aside from the bits of soft fur that had been shaved away.

"As long as you do not die, I can cause as much pain as I want. Cut you down to the bone, remove your hide or break any bone I see fit. Then repair any damage and do it all over again." she giggled.

There was something off about her. As much pain as she had experienced in the show, never did she want to cause physical harm to any one. Not Discord, NightMare Moon and even Tirek was merely placed back into prison. It was just another reminder that perhaps Equestria was not as the show had made it into. Maybe it was just like Earth, and as everything played out on television, it had to be censored, cleaned up so that it would not offend anyone.

Twilight's face twisted in anger at your silence. She placed the scalpel back on the table and swung a hoof at the side of your head. It hits the side of your muzzle, grazing your lips across the teeth and opening them up to bleed. You grunt from the blow, but still look away.

"Where is your big mouth now? Always saying that you were the better mage than I am? Why are you not gloating at the fact that everypony I love is in the hospital? WHERE?"

She hit your again, inside your skull you feel a crunch and a molar rolls onto the top of your tongue. Tears begin to form at the corners of your eyes. You want to spit the pool of blood from your muzzle in her face. This was not YOUR Twilight. You just sniff in through your nose, and let the copper taste roll out of your mouth onto your chin to splatter on the floor, the tooth fragment clattering to the ground.

"Twilight," you whisper. "Can you please listen to me."

She responds with another blow to your face, uprooting the rest of the molars on the right side of your mouth, springing forth a new well of blood.

"Is it possible to transfer consciousness between two ponies? To be someone else?" You ask the question, even though she may ignore it.

She pauses from another punch, letting her hoof fall to the floor.

"You know it is possible, but forbidden." she growls.

You force a weak smile. The seed had been planted. Hopefully it would bear fruit. You tongue the broken teeth out of your muzzle and try your best as to not get any blood on Twilight.

"But you are NOT going to escape this. You have been studded and it will not be removed until the execution is over. But until then, I am going to make you WISH it was tomorrow evening and you go six feet under."

It was so close. You have at best just twenty four hours before they take your life.

"She has already left." you tell her.

"Who?"

"Ember? Was that her name? I'm not her. She talked with me, I have no idea how but she did. We changed places just a short while before you brought me here."

"Oh NO! You are not going to play this game. Push this off on somepony else, stay the execution and have another Equestria wide hunt for another six months!" she yelled, getting upset at this potential turn of events. "You are here now, and I'm not going to make it easy for you."

Twilight moved to the side of the stocks so that she was out of view, maybe selecting a new tool from the table.

A sudden pain racks your side as the mare squarely planted two of her rear hooves in a bucking fashion into your ribs. You squelch in pain as several of them crack, the sickening sound echoing in the small chamber. The thrust of pain sending a mist of blood from your muzzle as you expel what air was forced out.

You want her to stop, scream out in pain and cry, but you feel compelled to keep your composure. It may not be the best idea, as she may take it as defiance, but there are a few more things you must say, and breaking down into a blubbering mess would not be the best thing.

"I know-" the pain of breathing in or out causes you to pause and let it pass. "-that you think I'm lying." another pause. "Go to the burnt out... house. See the magic circles. There were... other ponies there."

"What magic circles?" her ears perk up. "Were you trying to destroy Canterlot as well?"

"No. It was Ember's... escape. Please go see them. Then take... your new healing spell to your... friends." You wheeze through the pain.

Twilight moved to the front of the stocks and looked into your eyes. You can't help but to turn your gaze away from her, sniffing as a tear rolls down your cheek. She doesn't speak, but rather watch, peering into your eyes. You hope she sees past them, sees a bit of truth.

Twilight's lips straighten from rage to anger. Again she closes her eyes and her horn lights with the aura of magic. The bits of broken teeth raise from the floor and into your painfully agape muzzle. Pain shoots through your skull as the teeth dig through broken gums to seat themselves into their rightful place. The blood stops pumping and the gums heal up back to the way they were before the were ripped open.

She moves to your side and completes the spell again, moving the broken ribs back into alignment and healing them back to new. The mare trots to the cell door, leaving your wounds from earlier in the day alone.

"I'm going to be back. Pray to Celestia that you are not lying or I will fillet you alive." she opens the door and turns to the guards and whispers into their ears, they both nod and turn back to facing outward from the door. Twilight runs at full pace to the end of the hallway and disappears.

Time passes and you begin to feel thirsty, most likely from the blood loss.

"Could I have a drink?" You call to the guards.

One of the guards turns and enters the room and goes back behind your field of vision.

"Sorry, I'm thirsty." you apologize. There was no way the guard was going to do anything, but the fact that he approached the table was alarming.

"Sorry, sorry, I won't say anything again."

The guard returns with a tangled mess of leather straps holding what looks like a small leather pouch. He loosens the mess with his magic and slides a brass ring tethered to the pouch over the top of your horn. He swings the pouch over your mouth and pulls it tight to the back of your head. He moves to adjust the neck strap and pulls the muzzle tight.

His actions spoke louder than words, the muzzle strapped to your face was proof of that. The unicorn returned to his post and you let out a sigh through the holes in the leather.

It was true that Ember was a very powerful mage, but not as powerful as Twilight. It would take more magic than she could use to force a transition and put herself inside another pony's body. It would require a team dedicated to learning the spell, then complete concentration for hours for it to work.

Twilight had a doubt in her mind, it was not that Ember had transferred herself into a new pony, but that she was acting odd. For some reason she had changed. She should have been spouting exposition, saying 'I told you so', offering to fight her in a Unicorn on Unicorn match of magic. Maybe it was from defeat and she was trying to earn salvation. That wouldn't change, tomorrow evening her light would fade with the setting sun.

Ember was a very talented unicorn, if not a bit dangerous. From a young age she was capable of great feats of magic, ones far surpassing those who had been trained for years in the art. As her magic was unfocused and un trained, it caused problems. Most unicorns spells would fizzle out and end in a small bang if they failed to complete a spell, harmless as worse. Ember was different, when her spell failed, it caused every object within sight to burst into flame.

She was taken into Celestia's school for the gifted unicorns at a young age by very relieved parents. Twilight became an instructor there shortly after Queen Chrysalis' demise and took great interest in the young filly.

For years she tutored young Ember, and helped her learn how to control the spontaneous combustion that happened when her spells floundered. She became honed to perfection and her skill increased.

Ember was an offensive unicorn, favoring spells of destruction and combat over the 'mundane', as she called them, spells of restoration and life. She trained under Twilight's metaphorical wing to become an Arcane Battle Mage, even against her wishes. But even destruction had it's place in Equestria. Incineration spells had many uses, clearing fields, ebbing the fires away from buildings and controlled burns. Ember was able to create and manipulate fire, she was even able to extinguish an entire volcano that began to threaten the Crystal Empire.

Twilight ran from the dungeon under the Royal palace. It had not been used for many decades, but Ember couldn't be kept near any modern places made mostly of wood, as if she was able to remove the studding the entire place would burn in seconds.

The mare ran through the courtyard and out into the city proper, rushing past guards and the citizens living there. The streets were busy with the usual activity, vendors, merchants and the visitors trotting about. In minutes she came upon the smoking ruins of Ember's house.

The stone remained standing, but the windows and furniture had burnt away, leaving thick black ash clutching to exterior. It probably wasn't safe to enter, but she did anyway. Twilight found the entrance to the basement, the door had burnt away. She called upon a light spell and headed forth into the darkness.

The was no wood in the basement, just stone supporting floor overhead. It was not a surprise that it was empty, as Ember spent a majority of her time in the college, even sleeping there. The floor was blanketed in a layer of ash, turning the grey stone black.

Twilight was drawn to the open center of the room, where five half burnt candles lay scattered around. This was not looking good. If there was an incantation circle under the ash, it was sure to be wiped away if she tried to reveal it.

There was an aura in the air, a very powerful spell had been cast here, as it had drawn her and the Princess to Ember. Twilight began to grow concerned, perhaps there was some truth into what she had been told. Pausing in thought, she walked the perimeter of the large space, trying to find away to leave the chalk, but remove the ash.

She let the light spell fade away and began to focus on the air, using a spell to whip up a slight wind to brush the ash aside. The breeze worked and moved the cover aside, leaving small remnants of chalk, enough to discern it's purpose.

It was a mandala, a series of circles and squares. At the centers of the outermost square were temples, gateways to represent the universe, and all but one were drawn with closed doors. It was a focusing inscription, meant to channel energy from across the universe to bring one to peace, but this one had been modified to focus on a particular place, to draw and send energy.

Ember, or who ever Ember was now, had been right. Celestia need to know that she had escaped and that there were several other ponies that had aided her. The Princess needed to know, if this was true, Ember was still out there.

Twilight returned down the hallway, her hooves clopping loudly to cover it's length in mere seconds. It bought a small amount of relief that she appeared to have calmed down. Once inside the room she removed the muzzle and tossed it to the floor.

"Tell me that it's not true, that Ember hasn't escaped." Her eyes spoke of desperation, not wanting to believe that she was so far from revenge.

"I'm not her, she brought me here, we traded places, traded lives. She seemed impatient, wanted to do it as fast as possible. I wrote down everything about my life so she could take control of it, and she was supposed to do the same. But I arrived and a bunch of cloaked ponies ran from the room as soon as I got here." you explained, happy that she was no longer going to harm you, for the time being.

"Where are you from? Las Pegasus, ManeHattan, DeTrot? I need to know where you live."

"I'm not from this world, I'm from a planet called Earth."

Twilight slammed a hoof on the ground, cursing under her breath. She paced around the room grumbling and kicked over the table, sending the instruments clattering to the ground. She trotted back in front of your vision, tears had welled up in her eyes.

"I want to believe you, but you have done nothing but lie to me from the beginning, since we met. You are possibly the worst sort of evil in all of Equestria. I want to believe, I really do..." she began to cry. "I talked with Celestia about this. She reminded me that you were dishonest, and not to be trusted. That you had set all of this up as a distraction, to keep us looking for something that isn't there while you escape. Just a way to play with my mind, as you had always done."

"I'm sorry, I was brought into all of this. I'm just scared and would like to go back home." You explain to her.

She needed a hug, some one to tell her that things would work out. You couldn't stand to see her in such a state, the fact that she wasn't with her friends in this time was concerning, she had mentioned they were in the hospital.

"Could I at least ask why I am here? What Ember did?"

Twilight trotted over to the door and closed it, then took a seat on the floor in front of the stocks.

"You were a good student, punctual, eager to learn, eager to please me, your instructor. You always had a problem with starting things on fire. But I took you in and helped you control that. Over time you gained experience and a focus to avoid future incidents, changing into a very promising and powerful assistant."

"You felt proud, that you had taken control of yourself and could use magic without fear of hurting anypony. That pride went to your head. You began to boast, showing off to the other students. I just let it be, brushing it off as a phase that you would grow out of, being a young thick headed mare."

"I urged that you take up a secondary skill, something along the lines of Restoration, as you were focused on Destruction. You said that was for the weak, and Equestria needed stronger unicorns to defend the Princesses. For a few years you found other unicorns and taught them what your had learned, and were still learning under my tutelage."

"You excelled in lessons and I realized that you could still be of help even with an offensive oriented skill set. You approached Celestia with a presentation of creating a special guild of Mages, ones who could defend her with the group of unicorns that together would rival her abilities. She rejected the idea, saying that Equestria does not need those who are best suited to attack, but rather defend."

"It was very unpleasant, your conversation afterwards. It was more of an argument. She then banned you from the College, continuing your studies, even at my request that you stay. You left the college, and swore to me that you would show her that Equestria needed what you offered. Most of the students you taught left with you as well."

"It was a few months before we heard anything from you. But when we heard, it became a concern. A large portion of the EverFree forest burnt to the ground, fire being your signature area of focus. A letter to Celestia arrived, stating that such a thing could have been avoided if there were unicorns dedicated to this area of focus. She ignored you, against my pleads that she reconsider."

"Then it happened. The event. Two weeks after your letter was sent, and six months ago from today, a fire started."

Twilight paused, a fresh set of tears welling in her eyes.

"PonyVille caught on fire. It wasn't one that started small in one area. The entire town caught flame in seconds. It wasn't an accident. It was midnight, everypony was asleep."

"There was nowhere for them to go, those that could ran into the river that divides the town. Walls of flames kept most from escaping the town, those that tried wound up with burns all over their body. The pegasus tried flying away, but the heat singed their feathers and they fell back down to the ground, or into the burning buildings. Unicorns were trying to extinguish the fires and pulling up flaming rubble to free those underneath."

"I tried my best to get everypony I could out, teleporting from building to building, clearing the trapped ponies. I could only do so much, all the voices screaming for help, buildings collapsing around them."

"Rainbow Dash sped to CloudsDale and gathered up as many pegasus and all the rain clouds that they had, but this was not a fire that could be put out with water. Got caught in a back draft when once it became clear that the only way to save everypony left alive was to go building to building and pull them out. I'll have to try and see if I can reverse any damage done, but it's possible that it's too severe."

"Rarity saved her sister, and did what she could. I can't blame her, she is not good under pressure."

"Fluttershy managed to get most of the animals to safety, she is doing fine, just some minor burns and manes go grow back out."

"AppleJack did her best, pulling out those she could, getting badly burned in the process. She is strong, and won't let it get to her, a bit bull headed to admit she is not going to be who she physically was before."

"Pinkie Pie got the worst. It's amazing she survived, third degree burns over her entire body."

"It's been six months. We are still pulling bodies from the ashes, the foals are the worst. PonyVille is never going to recover, most of the surviving residents have moved on to other towns, those that aren't in the hospital."

Twilight hung her head, hiding the wave of tears streaming down, but they began to darken the ground below her.

You say nothing, there is nothing you can say. It wasn't your fault this happened, but still there is some level of responsibility you feel. If you hadn't come here, they would have gotten the real Ember and been able to punish her accordingly. but now you are involved in this, forcing Twilight to question the face she wants to destroy, to save the pony she wants to tear apart.

"Get back to your friends, heal them up. I can't fix this, I can't offer any help. You need them now more than ever Twilight." tears well into your eyes as you say this, hoping that in some way it would help.

Twilight nodded and stands up from the floor.

"I hope you can understand. I look at you and all I can see is pain, all I can think about is revenge. For me to question who you are now, if that is true, I can't. You, Ember, whatever you are now, I can't put this behind me. Something like this cannot be forgiven... You need to die, hopefully this feeling for revenge will with die with you." Twilight sobbed.

She then lit her horn and directed the healing spell towards your face. The inflammation around your eye began to recede, allowing it to open and releasing it's pounding pressure from your skull. She healed the split on the side of your head as well, taking away all of the pain that remained, leaving only the pain of guilt left. The aura remained on your head a little while longer after you were healed.

"I need to speak with Princess Luna before I leave. We are never going to see each other again. I'm sorry." Twilight apologized, turning away and leaving the room, voicing to the guards to return you to the cell.

This was it. You first foray into a Pony fan's wettest dream and you were going to die. Would you really die, or would 'dying' here send you back to Earth, your original place of origin. Either way was horrible, as you first had to die here, hung at the gallows. There was no resistance as the guards removed you from the stocks and placed the shackles back around your limbs. There was a great need to cry out, plead with them. The fact that the guard had placed a muzzle on you for asking to drink was enough to stop any thought of it. There still had to be a way out of this, ponies couldn't be this bloodthirsty.