The ear-splitting screams echo down the hallway, making their way into the room of a young Pinkamena Diane Pie, causing her to wake with a start. Glancing around groggily, she rubs her eyes clumsily with her forehooves, accidentally poking herself in the muzzle.

Stumbling out of the bed, she almost trips several times due to the toys scattered across the small, cluttered bedroom. Attempting to kick off the blanket that is wrapped around her back right hoof with a few shakes, she shuffles towards the rickety wooden door, and flings it open with a yawn. Freezing, she becomes petrified as she stares aghast at the flames. She watches in terror, seeing them lap and flicker in the hallway, scarfing the hall up like a young foal that was given a chocolate cupcake.

Gasping, with her eyes fixed on flames, she stares as they dance and torment the young foal. The reflection of fire shine brightly in her terror-filled eyes, while the flames consume the hallway greedily. All the young mare can do is stand there, paralyzed. She shuts her eyes tightly while dreading what would happen if she tried even dared to reopen them. She struggles to convince herself that it’s all in her head, that it’s all a dream.

H-How could have this happened? It isn’t real. It isn’t real! It can’t-

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a shrill call of her name from none other than her sister, Maud.

“Pinkie!” The purple and grey filly cries, clutching her pet rock tightly, as she races over to her sister. Maud dodges the patches of fire in quick leaps and swerves, coughing and heaving, Maud grasps her younger sister, in a warm embrace, glad to know that her sister is safe. As she withdraws, she grabs Pinkie by the shoulders, trying to snap her out of her trance.

“We need to get out of here!” Yanking her sister’s hoof, and dragging the distraught filly along to get out of the house. Pinkie freezes as she realizes that their parents are still in their room, and most likely oblivious to the entire situation.

“We can’t leave Ma and Pop behind,” Pinkie cries, pivoting in the direction of the doorway of the room belonging to Marble and Limestone Pie.

Maud knows that her parents have always been heavy sleepers, so the mare agrees without hesitation in her voice, but there is some lingering in her mind.

Trailing behind her younger sister, but fearful of what may happen if they stay in their house any longer. Steadying herself to not let her anxious behaviour get in the way, she shakes her head knowing their main priority is to find their parents.

Pinkie approaches the door, breathing heavily, with a cough every once in a while, she reaches for the handle and rattles the door. “It’s blocked Maud, we can’t get in!” Pinkie wails, rattling the door, screaming in frustration and anger, instead of terror and dismay. Pinkie gets a position to attempt to buck the door open, but pauses.

“Maud! Help me out!” she clamors, trying to urge her to assist her in getting the door opened to save their mother and father.

“Pinkie, it might be unstable,” she cries, glancing around anxiously, fearing that the supports won't last. “We gotta get out of here, now. It’s dangerous to stay here any longer.”

Pinkie stops by setting down her back legs, first the left and then the right in one fluid motion. She storms forward with a tilt of her head, like one you would see a dog do when one is utterly confused.

“But Maud, this is our mom and dad we’re talking about. We can’t just leave them behind when they could be trapped inside!”

Maud pursues her sister, trailing behind the young pink foal, who is covered in ash, and is looking weak and tired, but trying not to reveal that. Maud begins to explain that they need to leave, but her sister’s innocent and kindhearted determination causes Maud’s heart to break in admiration to her sister’s bravery. Succumbbing to her sister’s pleads, Maud circles around with a nod of the head, shuffling around to get into position, firmly locking her front hooves and lifts up her hind legs, following her sister’s lead.

“Ready?” Pinkie asserts, with a light, but weary smile. “Three, two, one, buck!”

The two kick strong and heartily, causing loud rattles, cracks, and clanks, along with a big cloud of ash and dust, causing the two to fall into a long, drawn out coughing fit.

“Once more,” Pinkie wheezes in between hacks and coughs.

The small filly counts down once more, sending the power of four small, but forceful hooves slamming into the old, water-stained door, flinging it open, once again causing a gigantic wave of ashes that flood into their lungs.

Swatting at the soot that drifts freely in the air, Pinkie and Maud slink into the room cautiously, heaving in and out with a few rugged breaths. Once they sees the sight before their eyes, Maud stands solemnly stands there, as Pinkie trembles beside her.

Time slows as the two sits there, anger and rage inflicted upon the pink foal, but also a feeling of sorrow and grief. All she can hear is the pounding of her heart as she stares at the sight of her two parents, two people whom she loved, her very heart and soul. Gone.

The mare and stallion lie motionless on the peeling, hardwood floor. Their eyes fixed on the door, which is now splintered and cracked due to the duo’s attempt

Pinkie wails in a sorrowed gasp, running over to her two parents, as her tears dripping onto the wood.

Collapsing onto the floor she mourns with soft sobs, holding tight onto her mother, hoping someway, somehow it could save them. In her broken, but pounding heart, she knew it would make no difference, but it was all she could do. The thought that her parents are dead kept replaying and pounding in her head. There wasn’t anything she could do to change that and she knew it.

Maud sets a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, giving her a soft stroke as her sister heaves with thick coughs. She lies down next to her sister, as she gives her a pained, but sympathetic look. Calmly she whispers, “we were too late, and there is nothing we can do, but Ma and Pop would want us to leave, they want us to be safe. C’mon.”

As Maud stands, Pinkie’s gaze drifts away from her parents, and falls upon her older sister. Pinkie stares in awe of her sister’s bravery in such a tough situation as this. She stares into her sister’s , clutching to Maud’s hoof to keep her balance as she shakily stands.

Maud strokes her smooth pink mane, struggling to mask her own pain, but wanting to stay strong for her sister. As she holds her, Maud wipes her sister’s tears away, and looks into her heavy eyes.

“It’s time to go.”

Author's Note

This is the first chapter of a story I am hoping to continue in. This is my first on FiMFiction, and I really hope you enjoyed it. I would hope you could point out some grammatical or spelling errors I may have made, or give me tips on writing in general. Thanks for reading!

Yes I do know, Maud seems very OOC, but it is something I am planning to work off of in later chapters.