Scorchedby VehemenceChaptersThe EmberThe FlameThe BlazeThe BurnThe FlickerThe SearThe FlashThe HeatThe GlintThe FlareThe ScaldThe GlowThe SingeThe PyreThe Ember "So where are we headed?! We've been flying for a good couple of hours, you'd think we would have seen something by now! Are you even sure we're on the right track?!" I yelled through the searing wind that made even the most ear deafening bang near inaudible. I had no choice but to ride on Vendium's back, a blood red scaled dragon, whose eyes were a contradicting sky blue. I was always required to put my greatest grip forward as to prevent me from falling to my death to the far ground below. "Discord said it was this way, but I'm beginning to have doubts myself." Vendium stated. Bellowing from his large vocal cords, he was much clearer and audible compared to me. Wisteria, the griffin who was with us, jerked his head to the right, toward our direction. "Will you two shut your traps?! He said it'll be this way, and it'll be this way, no questions asked!" he prompted with a sharp tone within his voice that cut through the high winds. He was always a griffin filled with contempt, always wanting to complete the task at hand as fast as he could. If he could, he would abandon me and Vendium, but he always followed Discord's orders to stay with us. He wore his usual black scarf that had holes torn through it around his head, fashioned like a hood to cover his face from unwanted eyes, having it flap and shake through the gust. He had a scar that ran from his left cheek to his right, grazing over his beak and making an indentation that would never vanish to it's original form. We all had bore injuries of our past experiences, such as Wisteria's scar, Vendium's chipped and crushed incisors, and my... burns. Vendium let out a rancid puff of smoke from his nostrils in hatred of the griffin. The smoke swept over his head, but onto my face. I couldn't rub my eyes, for loosening my grip would his scaly neck would send me off his back, then to the ground at high speeds, which won't be good for a common earth pony like myself. My eyes teared, but I looked away from Wisteria, for I couldn't let him see me like this, even if it was for something as trivial as smoke in my eye. I managed to rub my face against the fur of my shoulder hoping it would sooth my eye, but it only made things harder to see. After a few moments, the stinging pain began to subside. I still had trouble seeing, but I could make out blurry images in the distance. Lights. Lights, along with houses and small shops scattered along the streets, full of color and vivid character. "See, I told you two we were on the right path. There it is. Ponyville." the shimmer in Wisteria's eyes began to grow. His excitement only increased the closer we got to the settlement. Our speed began to decrease at a more drifting rate, allowing me to loosen my grasp on Vendiums neck. With a hoof, I pulled out a scarf of my own, one similar to Wisteria's, out of an abused saddlebag from my side. The only difference between our scarves was that his was torn, while mine had spots where it was charred rough. I huddled closer to Vendium's neck so that he would hear me. "Vendium, aren't you going to need one?" I asked, trying to look out for someone who would maybe look out for me. "Nobody will care, or frankly, I don't care if somebody recognizes me," he rumbled in his bass filled voice. I could feel by skin rattle since I was closely huddled on him. "I lost everything, so being wanted in another town won't matter to me." He whispered the last sentence, still with the shaking undertone. Wisteria sarcastically rolled his eyes to the opposite direction. "Why the hell would you care. We're all wanted, so scarf or not, if they manage to capture us, then we're done. All over. Nothing left but to rot in some forsaken dungeon somewhere." The town's lights began to shut off. One by one, the lamps hung outside of the houses were blown off, smoking the last ember of their wicks. It appeared they were awaiting our arrival. "Vendium, they know we're coming. They probably got word of our actions in the other towns. Should we turn back or do we-" "Damn it! We're going to finish this if it costs us our lives, got that?!" Wisteria spat, just wanting to get there as quick as he can and enjoy his time there. Shutters were being slammed shut and doors were closing tight. Wisteria dived straight to the ground, followed by Vendium and me on his back. Wisteria landed first, letting out a fierce growl as soon as his talons made contact with the green grass, then shot like a cannon into the town, keeping his distance in the air hovering distance from the ground, dragging the grass along down his abdomen. "Get back now!" Vendium roared, bellowing a command that would frighten even the hardest of hearts. He continued to speed into the town. "I can see the town hall. I'm going to get started. You guys can get the rest, right?!" With that, his voice faded off into the dark night, soon to be lit. "He's not coming back. If he's going to get started, then we have no choice but to do the same," I informed Vendium. I secured my scarf over my head, tightening it so it wouldn't slip off if I were to get into some sort of quarrel. Vendium flapped his scaly wings, hovering over the green land, making the blades of grass ripple and wave with the powerful wind coming from beneath us. I jumped from his neck and onto the shaking earth. It was the same as always. Wisteria leaves, I head to the outskirts, and Vendium goes towards the center. This night however, felt strange. The wind felt... colder? No that wasn't it. It was just this feeling that this night would be different from the others. "Are you alright, Lathyrus?" Vendium asked, about to go his separate way. "Yeah. I'm fine." I know he could sense the worry on me. He was a dragon afterall. "Will you be fine going alone?" "Yeah, don't worry about me. It's going to be the same as always, huh?" "Yes. See you on the other side." I trotted away from him, adjusting my scarf, hoping this would be just another time where it's the same as always. The Flame"Oh Vendium... I almost forgot!" With that, I set my saddlebag on the ground and unbuckled it open. Rummaging through it, I found what I was searching for. A torch about two feet in length. I had wrapped the top of it with a cloth that I had soaked in oil before we made our trip to Ponyville. The smell flared my nostrils, informing me of what's to come. I grasped it in one hoof, and held it high over my head before Vendium. "I forgot my flint. I need you to light this." He brought his head closer, breathing in a puff of air into his lungs. His chest inflated, filling with the fire that rose from his stomach. In a push of his breath, fire escaped from the gaps of his teeth and to the torch. The tip ignited, like an explosion, trailing a 'wooshing' sound that trapped the air around it. I could feel the intensity of the flames as it burst from his mouth. It didn't bother me, for I have done this too many time before, I grew a tolerance to heat. "Remember Lathyrus, that's your only one. Make it count." With that, he himself raced to the town, wings spread apart, gliding similar to Wisteria. A scream shrieked from the town, then followed by another, and then another. It appears Wisteria already made his presence apparent to them. Though in the far off distance, I could quite audibly hear the shattering of glass windows and the falling of rubble. The sounds of terror only increased in volume as soon as Vendium disappeared from my sight. I can't believe they started without me. Instinctively, I placed the torch in my teeth. I gritted it tight, and raced along the side of the town straight through the patches of trees as not to be seen by anypony. I headed left on a trail that was composed of dried dirt and dieing plants. What better thing to do than keep my head low? Galloping through the hoof-grazing grass, I tilted my head, having the tip of the torch contact and wave through the lifeless vegetation. I led a trail of small but promising flames, licking at the oxygen that flowed through this cold and starry night. To my right, I could make out the town through the scattering of oak trees. More screams ensued, followed by puffs and clouds of smoke that rose to the sky. It appeared Vendium had already started his part. The smoke was black, surprisingly visible in the night. I could feel the ground vibrate and shake, assuring the he really was doing his part. I wished I could join them, but I was on my own from here on out. The track of fire behind me began to rise gradually, eventually licking the protruding branches above. Slowly but surely, the bark of the trees scorched and charred, then finally entirely alight. The shivering feeling in the air began to vanish, no longer cold, but warm. It felt comforting, but painful as well. I knew this torch wasn't going to last forever, so I had to make haste. I ran through the fores, jumping over roots and stumps projecting from the ground. The flames followed, even blazing at the same pace I was going. Branch after branch, I ducked through under them, hitting my torch along the dieing bark of the trees to produce flying embers that will spark their own fire. The path eventually came to a halt. It was a cross road, going a true left and a true right. To the right, the town, and the left, continuing to what I presumed was a path that would eventually lead into Canterlot . But dead center, a field, surrounded by low wooded fencing. There were acres upon acres of trees. Apple trees to be exact, huddled and woven closely together. In the middle, however, was a house, a house stylized like a red barn. I was only given the task of chaos, not murder, and I hoped it wouldn't get to it. The torch was starting to give out the last of it's fuel. The fire was begging to give out and turn to ash. I had no choice, no time. With a swift jerk of my head, I flung the torch into the vast land of apple trees. A few moments passed, but nothing. Maybe it died out and smoked before it could set anything alight. Moments passed, but nothing. I couldn't tell where it was, other than it was lodged somewhere within bushels of leaves. I started to lose hope, and I would have to head into the town to join Wisteria and Vendium. I trotted at a slower pace than previously, making my way to the town on the dirt road. A glowing aura snatched the attention of my eye from the corner of my peripheral vision, slightly blocked by my burned scarf. Smoke began to drift from the luscious green leaves of the trees and high above. In rapid succession, bright tongues of fire licked at the at the air, spreading out like a series of falling dominoes. I smiled, gazing at the blaze while my eyes reflected the warm light. I began to make my way, but the fire began to spread at an alarming rate. The thought that there might be ponies still in the house tugged at my heart, but I couldn't do anything for them now. Too late to go back now, might as well mark a death on my conscience. I pulled and huddled my scarf over my mouth. The strong aroma of the rising ash began to creep my way. Looking away, finally about to leave, I heard a grunt. An equine stood a good distance from behind me. He was a large one as well, belittling me in size and mass. His eyes shone a raging green that reflected the brightness of the fire. His coat, however, was the most memorable. It resembled him being covered in blood, being a crimson red. Grounding his hooves into the soot ground, he taunted me by letting out a snarl of air from his nostrils, resembling an enraged bull. I removed the scarf from my mouth, but kept it covering the top of my head. I examined him, wondering if he was going to make the move first. "Well?! What are you waiting for?!" My snide and impulsive reproach only made his eyes even further infuriated and his breathing harder. "I said what are you-" Before I could finish, he was well on his way to me. His head lowered, keeping his face directed to the ground while his forehead waited to impale me. I spread my stance firm on the ground, trying to keep my center of mass closer to the ground. In an instance before I could make any other move, I felt the collision of his head to the cor of my neck. Pushing with relentless force, dragging my hooves and trailing endless dust from the ground, he pinned me against a burning tree. I could feel the full force of my back slamming against the tree. The slam whipped my head back, catching me further off guard and asphyxiating my mind from coming up with any reflexive thoughts. Still being pressed against what felt like a concrete wall, I pressed my hind legs against the ground in an attempt to pry myself off and give me some sort of chance against him. It didn't work. He pushed again, slamming me back once more. His head pulled up quickly, colliding with the bottom of my jaw. I could have sworn I heard something snap within my mouth. He retreated for a second, allowing me to back off, only to ram me again, this time in my chest area. Blunt force went straight to my lungs. My breathing became more difficult, in conjunction with my barraged throat and the oxygen lacking air that surrounded us. I could feel something trickle in my mouth. The taste of blood became apparent, warm and tasting of metal. I smiled, letting the blood seep and ooze between my teeth, pouring out over my lips. I let out a slight chuckle, still being crushed, inevitably followed by a cough. I heaved out droplets of blood over the stallion's mane. He ignored it, continuing his battery without stop. I didn't know what to do next, so I swung my head to one side, crashing into his. He stopped, but only momentarily. It gave me enough time to squeeze my way out from between him and the tree. I presumed he was dazed, for when I strafed to to the right, he rammed to the tree once more, hoping I will be crushed again. I reared, waving my front hooves in the air, a rebuttal for my previous immobility. Shaking his head left and right to relieve some of the pain from his failed attack, he charged toward me. Blood started to flow from the top of his scalp, scaling down his already red fur, dampening it a dark shade of scarlet. His eyes squinted as if his daze affected his eyesight as well. Having my hooves still in the air, his snout clashed with the bottom of my hooves. I could feel a crunch, jolting up my limbs. I fell on my back, while he swayed slightly, pouring blood from his nostrils. I rose, galloping away from him a quickly as I could. He, of course, followed me with yet another head-butt charged for me. I swerved left and right, hoping I could cause him to crash into another tree again. He dodged through the acres as swift as me. He was smarter than I thought, despite his brute size. It was starting to become more difficult to see in this haze of smoke that started to lower and linger on the ground. Branch after branch, root after unforgiving root, I maneuvered my way over them, and unpleasantly so did he. I could hear his gargling breath get louder, assuming that he was in fact getting closer. The smoke began to fill my bleeding lungs. I started to be overcome with fatigue, and was beginning to slow down. I could sense his breathing only feet away from me, showing his great intention to kill me. My footing began to give out, making me stumble as we headed though the burning land. One small wrong footing, and I stumbled into a shallow but wide burrow in the ground. I felt my right hoof roll and mangle. A shock of pain surged like static. The red colt unavoidably rolled over my fallen body. I saw him reel with eccentric force, slamming skull first into a decade and blazing tree. I stared at him, forgetting about my sprained hoof. He laid still, with no sign of movement. "Hey...*cough, cough*" I tried to call out, but it was troublesome to speak with my bruised throat. I could see his head move increments, fighting his way to get up. I was weary. I didn't wish to fight anymore. His legs began to lift his body off the ground, wobbling and shaking, but still with energy left. I didn't care what his next move was. I only wanted to lay here for a while. A cracking sound came from above. One of the branches was giving out, snapping at the base. I payed my attention from the red colt stallion to the branch, hoping for any sort of usefulness would come out of it. I was right. Without warning, the branch slammed on his neck, bringing him downward with it. His body impacted the ground, leaving his neck contorted under the heaving branch. I couldn't feel any sort of relief from seeing this, believe it or not. A stallion, trying to defend what was precious to him, now perished. Blood leaked from his mouth, while his eyes were shut, giving no emotion from his motionless corpse. I wondered if I should stay here, to be consumed by my own fire. It felt like the best idea t the time. I began to close my eyes hoping for this to be over, but then, I saw. I saw her face. I saw her coat, an astonishing shaded orange. I saw her mane, a brilliant gold. I saw her eyes, an illuminated emerald green, flooded in tears. The BlazeShe peered out from behind a tree, in a good distance far enough for me to only notice her stunning facial features from the thick smog. She trotted a bit closer, looking at me with sleek eyes. She paused for a second, only to walk toward the dead red colt. “Big Macintosh?” She said. She wasn't yelling, but I could sense a bit of a sob in her voice, with her eyes giving away her deeper emotions. She reached for an aged, cut-brim hat from the top of her head and set it on the ground. Her movements were cautiously slow, despite the burning scenery around us, crackles hitting the sky and echoing throughout. She sat facing away from me and to the colt. She lowered her head, nudging at the fellows head. “You, mare, you have to leave, and you have to leave now.” I called, but to no avail. I slowly got up, trying not to put pressure on my injured hoof. She was still nudging at the colt, not leaving his side. “I said you have to leave!” I exclaimed. She looked at me, now with an expression of anger fighting sorrow. She preoccupied herself once again with tending to the corpse of that dead stallion. She wasn't getting the message. I ripped a part of my scarf and instinctively wrapped it around my hurting hoof, making a temporary makeshift bandage. I ripped another piece off, and raced toward the mare. I pulled her away from the colt. Her hair was covered in the residue of blood from rubbing on the stallion's coat. She charged at me in the same style the colt did earlier, but not with as much force. She didn't want to fight, I could tell, but rather she wanted to vent out her anger and disgust. I caught her, still feeling the sting from my earlier injuries. “You killed Big Macintosh! How could ya!” She only pushed harder,her tears rubbing against my coat, and her words choking in her sorrow. I pushed her off, throwing her to the ground. Before she could get a hold of herself, I picked her up and put my hoof to her lips, covering her mouth with the spare piece of cloth. I began to drag her out of this searing orchard. “NO! Get yer murderin' hooves offa' me!” Her voice was loud, even though it was muffled through the cloth over her mouth. She tugged and pulled to get away, but I only gripped her harder and harder. We go the the dirt road in front of the orchard. I pulled away the cloth from her mouth and kept pushing her along. “Who are you?!” She demanded an answer, still with tears running down her eyes, and the sense of panic running through her. I looked away from her, wondering if I should explain myself and my actions before I leave. I gave it some thought, but then I saw. I saw five other mares. One brightly colored pink earth pony, and regretfully, two pegasi and two unicorns. The two pegasi, one being a bright yellow and the other being a vivid cyan color. With the two unicorns, one was a washed out white, while the other was a subtle lavender. I had to leave quick. I didn't want to answer any questions. “Applejack!” One of the unicorns called out; the lavender one to be exact. “There was a dragon and a griffon causing chaos in the town, then we saw flames coming from Sweet Apple Acres, so we came to help and see if you were ok. We-”, the unicorn stopped in her tracks, leading the other four to stop as well. “Who's this?” The flying cyan pegasus with a multi-colored mane zoomed in on her flight. “This must be one of the guys that were causing trouble. He even has the same scarf as that griffon!” I hated pegasi and unicorns with a blood lust. Nothing made my anger stand on end than the site of them, those wretched creatures. I stood my ground, adjusting my scarf. The orange mare I had dragged through the trees ran down the road and into the town in an apparent flee to get away from me. “Applejack, wait!” the white unicorn called out. With out wasting time, she trailed the mare, with the pink earth pony and the yellow pegasus following after. That left the lavender unicorn and the cyan pegasus, the wrong company for me. “Alright, that does it! Let's go, tough guy!” the pegasus cried out. Her wings shot back, sending her to my direction in a rapid glide. I swung my head to the side, with my turning with it. I managed to absorb her hit, though it sent my sliding back quite a distance. “I'm not in the mood of fighting.”I said as sternly as I could while trying to keep calm, but she wasn't listening. She landed on the ground and charged toward me, using her wings to boost her speed. I pushed my body the second she collided with me. With a split second in my favor, I wrapped my hooves around her and slammed her to the ground, pinning her under my weight. I could feel the force of the drop rushing through my hooves. She let out a small surge of pain, still with an aggravated look upon her face. “As I said once before, I'm not in the mood of fighting”, I said without raising my voice, but bringing my face closer to hers, and with a slight growl. “Rainbow!”, the unicorn yelled. I looked up to her, and saw her horn glowing a bright shining aura. “Get out from under him, Rainbow!” The pegasus squirmed from underneath me, escaping the grasp I had on her, trotting closer to the unicorn. Suddenly, I felt my muscles tense up. I began to feel heavier. “I'm casting a spell that should immobilize him, so he's not going anywhere.” The unicorn said this so calmly, and with a menacing smile. I started to become enraged. I could see the pegasus smiling as well. My limbs began to feel strained, and my hoof began to feel immense pressure. “You... take this spell off of me now!” I ordered. The unicorn's expression grew strained, and I could feel myself being weighed down even more. I fell to he ground, hitting the dirt with my underside as if someone just dropped me. The pressure started to build up. I had no choice. I couldn't let them get a hold of me. It would ruin everything if they did. I picked myself up, legs and arms shaking and pushing themselves beyond their limit, despite the terrible weight put on me. I had to keep walking, no matter what. I could feel the bones in my injured hoof snap. The shock went straight up my front limb. I let out a loud yelp, but I continued none the less. The unicorn's expression grew from that of confidence to that of worry. “That's impossible!” She exclaimed. “Very few people have that sort of strength to continue to move under this spell!” “More, Twilight!” The pegasus pleaded. It felt as if I was being tasked with carrying the sins of myself on my back, every regret came back just to push me down. “Take this spell off of me now, or I will come over and break off that damn horn of yours!” “That's it!” The pegasus called out, “You're dead!” “Wait, Dash!” The unicorn stated, but to no avail. I continued to inch my way to her. Once again, the pegasus hurried to my. Seeing as this is as good as any opportunity I could get, I grabbed her and pinned her to the ground once more. This time, with one hoof over her neck. “This spell makes me heavier, huh? Well then, I guess that means that so will any force I put on anything, am I correct?” I explained while looking at the unicorn. Her face only grew more worrisome. “Undo this spell, or I crush your friends neck!” I felt the pressure from my body release, fading back into my normal weight again. I hurled the cyan pegasus toward the unicorn with what ever strength I had left. In unison, they both tumbled to the ground. The lavender mare got up, with the pegasus still on the ground. “No more playing around!” she yelled. With a small and steady hiss, the tip of her horn began to glow a sharp and eye burning white. I could hear a charging sound coming from her. “This will take care of you!”. Sweat began to drip from her mane and her eyes began to glow an ominous white. A low and rumbling roar presented itself in the sky. I smiled; Vendium was well on his way over, I presumed. “Um, Twilight...” the pegasus begged, but the unicorn was still in a state of concentration. I saw Vendium, hovering over the burning apple orchard, making his way toward us. “Lathyrus.”, he called out with a rumble. With a swift jolt, he dived to the ground, shaking the earth as his feet plummeted to the ground. Dust rose from the quake, floating along with the smoke. “Quick, get close to me.” I followed his order, huddling tight to his scaly body. He stretched out his wing, covering me from the direction of the unicorn. With the sound of escaping energy, the mare discharged a beam of light, surrounded by static electricity to Vendium's wing. I couldn't directly see the blast, but I could well hear it. The sky filled with a brief moment of white light, while I could feel the heat from inside his wing. The sky faded black again, and Vendium removed his wing. He didn't mind the pain, since the expression on his face was constant. I climbed up on his back, with the mare's starring in disbelief. “Hey, where's Wisteria?” I asked. Vendium didn't really answer my question. “He didn't follow orders. What ever happens to him is his own fault.” We began to take off, hovering into the smoke filled sky. The BurnWe've been soaring through the cloud riddled air for quite some time by now, I'm guessing for a couple of hours. Celestia's sun began to shine through the holes in the clouds, casting off a bright glow that cast off through the distance. Still in it's early time of the day, the sun displayed an angry red. Holding onto Vendium's neck, I began to feel drowsy, eyes starting to become heavy and dreary. We weren't going at such a rapid pace, so it gave me admission to close my eyes. Soon, I fell asleep. It was a lovely feeling, being able to put my mind at rest while gliding through the air at calming speeds, having the sun cast off heart over my coat. My hooves and neck had still ached from last night, but it didn't worry me much any more. My mind had time to rest, but instead, it still pondered about the events of last night. Who was that colt I killed? Who were those young mares that tried to stop me? Who was she, the one who stood over the red colt? My time for rest turned into a prison, where the walls were regrets and the bars are the flames of which I started. It was hard not to think about it, but yet I did. “Lathyrus, wake up. We're here,” Vendium stated, but anything coming from him just sounds like a roar. I slowly lifted up my heard, gazing around. We're back home, or rather, what we can call a home; a cave. It was in a remote area, far from unwanted guests, in the middle of a damned wasteland. We needed a place big enough so that Vendium could enter and stay, and we found this place long ago. There is a lake, but it's usually dried up, only on rare occasions of rain does it fill. Thistles and dead bushes scattered around, surrounded by dying trees. Without having some sort of guide or knowledge of this place, it would be quite difficult to find. It's usually dark here, unlike today, due to gray clouds that pass through, but rarely ever spare a drop of rain. I couldn't feel Vendium land, even though he is a large dragon. I soon jumped off his back and hit the ground. I forgot that I was still injured. I fell onto my side, feeling the shock of the ground go through my hoof. I let out a small grunt of pain, only to pick myself back up and keep walking. Vendium made his way to his side of the cavern, which still to my surprise, isn't littered with gemstones. I would always hear of how dragons would hoard shiny objects, mostly jewels, but he had none. I would ask him why, but he would only answer with a simple grunt, followed by a small puff of smoke from his nostrils. My side, which was quite a distance from Vendium, was a large crevice in the wall within the wall of the cave, which had all my belongings. A poor makeshift bedding, consisting of abandoned cloth, a beat up crate with my stuff, and of course, a protruding rock from the wall where I usually hang my saddlebags and scarf. I searched around the crate for another piece of cloth. Finding one, I ripped it into a long but thin piece and began to wrap it around my front left hoof over the already last-minute cast. It worked, a bit, I suppose. I sat against the wall, leaning my head against it. I pulled off my scarf, dragging if along my mane, then tossed it aside. I didn't feel like hanging it up at the moment. I left on my saddlebags, however. I had a couple of small twigs and bundles of tinder beside me. Might as well make a fire. I gathered them from around me, and bundled them together before me. I pushed them a bit further; don't want to be to close to the fire than I already have before. I sat back and reached into my crate. I dug around, rummaging through the various objects I kept for myself. Deep at the bottom, I found what I had been searching for. A small flint. An oddly shaped stone, jagged edges, and a distinct red coloring. I leaned forward, edging closer to the pile of tinder. Without much effort, I struck the flint across the rocky ground on the edge of the pile. Sparks jumped and scattered. One by one, they flew left and right, with a few hitting the dried wood. Eventually, after continuous trial and error, a small ember glow began to proceed from the sparks and lit the tinder ablaze. I put my flint into my saddlebag, so I won't forget it again, and leaned my head back against the wall, and began to shut my eyes. I listened to the pops and snaps from the fire. Behind the sounds of the fire, however, was an echo. An echo of a chuckle. I opened my eyes, searching from where it came from. From the distance, I notice Vendium also heard it as well. It was a rather snide chuckle, one of sadism and borderline insanity. The fire I had laid before began to grow at an exponential rate, licking the air as it grew. I reached into the crate beside me, hoping to find something to eat and get my mind off it. I would sometimes take along food from our travels,and store it here, since the only place that has some sort of edible vegetation wasn't for another two to three hours away. Any sort of fruit, any sort of vegetable, grain, oat, sweet, even hey would suffice in keeping down my hunger. Sifting my hoof around, I eventually came across something. Something round, and plump. I pulled it out, wondering what it could be. To my surprise, an apple. A shining red and brightly colored apple. Without hesitation, I took a large bite from it, almost right down the middle, biting off an entire half of it. My mouth became bitter. I spat out the apple, looking at the remaining half in my hoof. Completely rotten from the inside. I tossed the remainder near the place I spat to, near the fire. Something caught my eye, however. I leaned in closer to the piece I spat out, coming closer to the fire. I looked over the rancid black coloring of the mashed insides of the apple. A dark crimson red leaked through. Blood. I put my hoof over my mouth and wiped my lips. Droplets of blood puddled on my fur. I searched the insides of my mouth with my tongue to see if I could find any cuts. None to be found. I coughed, terribly hard. It almost felt as if my lungs were being contracted. Of course, more blood flew from my throat and onto the cave floor. The maniacal laugh made it's self present once more. Vendium woke back up, peeking around with his slit eyes. The fire before me grew larger. I hopped out from the crevice I was in and to the middle of the cave's area. An ominous green aura shone from the blazes of the fire, dancing wildly. “Not him again,” I thought to my self. The fire changed from the ominous green to a dreadful blue. The from the blue to a searing red, then to a variety of colors. Vendium got up, then crawled closer to where I was, examining the flame like I was. “Discord, present yourself,” Vendium bellowed, followed by his trademark smokey nostrils. “Now Vendium no need to be so hasty.” His figure appeared, waling form the flames. His demented way of thought always put me on edge, but Vendium showed almost no fear what so ever. Wisteria, however, never wanted to be anywhere near him. After walking a few feet from the blazes of the fire, he slithered into the air over and behind like a snake diving through water. Me and Vendium didn't turn around to see him, but we were well sure of his presence. “Now... where is Wisteria?” Discord questioned. Neither I nor Vendium said anything, nor did we want to say anything. I slowly turned back to see him, twisting my head slightly but still keeping my body facing forward. He wasn't there. I was certain I heard his voice behind me, as if he had place his mouth inches away from my neck, even as so much to feel his breath. I turned my whole body around, trying to search for him. “Lathyrus, don't,” Vendium said. Before I could react to his words, I felt a swift claw swipe against my side. I was a mix of blunt force and sharp speed from his clawed hand. I fell to my side, only to have his monstrous eyes peering over me. “We can do this very easily, Lathyrus. Let's not let the get out of hand. His grin showed his aged teeth. Rotting, yet just as sharp and carnivorous as ever. “He disobeyed orders and left the group without warning, Discord,” Vendium responded. Discord forgot me and appeared in front of Vendium. Discord was enraged, yet Vendium showed no sort of nervousness. Discord walked in closer to Vendium, with is head facing Vendium but his eyes toward me. “And you didn't stop him because...?” Discord pondered. I began to pick myself up, facing Discord with as great of any sort of intimidating stare that I could muster up; I couldn't let Discord think he had complete control over me., although by the looks of it that was probably the case. Vendium was ready to respond. Before he could give up a reply, someone make their way to the entrance of the cave. Wisteria. “Ah, Wisteria, how nice of you to join.” Discord said without even looking at Wisteria, putting on the most sinister smile on his face. Wisteria was covered in scuffs and scrapes, adding a few additional scars to the one across his beak. Bruises were surprisingly visible through his dirty white feathers, while blood trickled from wounds on the side of his head. His scarf was in worse condition than it was before, shredded and riddled with holes. Wisteria's stance of anger turned into a stance of fear. Before he could get a good wing speed to get off the ground, Discord had already appeared behind him, slithering over him and blocking the cave entrance. Discoreds clawed arm, the same one he used to strike me with, wrapped around Wisteria's head. Effortlessly, Wisteria was picked up off the ground by Discord almost as if a filly were playing a with a ragdoll. He brought him closer to his face, still with that smile on his face. Wisteria grabbed for Discords fingers, but he only crushed his skull harder. “Now then,” Discord stated, “do mind telling us what happened to you?” Wisteria squirmed, nudging and shaking while in the grasp of Discord. “Th- there were r- royal guards waiting there!” Wisteria pleaded and screamed, letting out a small shriek of agony afterwards. “And do you care to explain why you were captured by the royal guards and had to fight your way through them?” Discord asked, with his eyes fixed on Wisteria. “I-I-I left the group! P- Please let go Discord!” That was enough to send Discord into a fit of rage. With an almost effortless throw, Wisteria crashed into the cavern wall just like the ragdoll he was, sliding down, unconscious, bleeding. Vendium didn't even bother to look. He still had his eyes set on Discord. I, on the other hand, could care less for what happened to Wisteria, bit it was a sight to behold. “As for you, Lathyrus.” I turned around to see Discord, but he was inches away from my eyes. His eyes glowed with the fire beside us. Both his hands wrapped around me. Before any sort of thought could process it's way through my mind, he slithered with me in his arms to and out the entrance of the cave. With a sharp turn, we soared high above the cave, reaching toward the dark clouds that now blocked all sunlight from coming through. We were surrounded by clouds, dark gray in shade, little light coming through. He held me out by the neck with one claw. I held my hooves over his wrist to grab for some leverage. “I watched what happened yesterday, Lathyrus, and to say the least, I'm not pleased. Not one bit. You didn't finish burning off the area. You are going to finish the job, and you're not coming back until you do. Not until every square acre of Ponyville is in flames, understand?” I couldn't catch a breath. My head started too feel light, and my vision began to blur, leaving Discord's face into a silhouette. I began to choke and heave, spitting blood trough my teeth and onto his hand. Discord looked at it, turning his ferocious look into a sadistic smile, then a laugh. “And by the looks of it, Lathyrus, you don't have much time left! Haha, priceless!” His grip began to loosen. Though it was great that it would allow be a breath of air, but worse in which we were hundreds of feet from the ground. “Have fun.” His fingers let go, along with a final laugh from him. Blood began to flow back into my head, and my vision began to clear up. Wind rushed over my body as I began to fall. My ears were popping due to the altitude and the speed, my mane was blowing as air swirled around me, and my hooves dangled upward as I faced the ground. Sure, this was the perfect time to yell a final word or something, but no one would hear, no one to care to hear, no one to care that I was falling to my death. The ground came in closer, along with the surrounding rocks and cave. As I drew closer to the ground, everything began to grow darker than it already was. I looked at myself, however, and I was the same shade of color when I began my free fall. A dark foggy aura surrounded me, huddling in closer like being trapped in a burning room. I couldn't see the ground anymore, nor the sky, nor Discord. I closed my eyes, not knowing what my fate was, but awaiting it anyway. The Flicker Author's Note: Yes, that is real blood. I asked Lathyrus how it got there. He still hasn't given me a straight answer. The Sear Author's Note: After I let Lathyrus use my typewriter, I usually skim over what he had written. When I got to the last part, saying that he caused Fluttershy to run in tears, I didn't know what to do. I asked him about it, but he just doesn't want to talk to me, no matter what. Oh well. Maybe he'll come around after he finishes his next chapter. The Flash Author's Note Hello everybody. Well, here goes a new chapter Lathyrus wrote. He hasn't been able to sleep much lately, and he is starting to become a bit more distant, even though he is already too distant to begin with. He begins to look like a nervous wreck every time he sits in front of a typewriter, yet he never wants to leave from it. Also, you might want to check this out before you venture any further into Lathyrus's story. Here. The HeatOkay, now that you have made it this far, you need to know this now. If you have not yet read this yet, you will be unimaginably lost. Read it. It's amazing. That story and this one are like a pair. You can't have one without the other. It's amazing, I promise you. While you're at it, go check out his other stories as well. He's an exceptional writer. Well, here's the next installment of 'Scorched'. Enjoy... __________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note Sweet black baby Jesus! Shit just got real! The Glint Author's Note: I never should have introduced Jack Daniels to Lathyrus. Sure we'll enjoy the occasional drink, but he tends to take things just a bit too far, and I kind of get dragged along as well. We'll usually agree to a Jack and Coke mix, then we somehow end up trying to out drink each other. Sometimes things get a bit out of hand; we can sometimes end up arguing then end up in a brawl. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to set his drinks on fire and make fiery cocktails. I hope it doesn't come to that. Also: EternalShadow54, I hope you resolve those issues of yours and take care. The Flare Author's Note: This is what happens when you let your OC use your typewriter. If you guys like this format, I'll submit the rest of the story by old-fashioned typewriter. The Scald Author's Note. Well, it appears here on out that I'm going to let Lathyrus use my typewriter. I feel as if it's better for the charcter to tell the story, rather than me. The Glow Author's Note: It's been a while since an update. Lathyrus has been kind of down, recently, I finally got him to write another chapter after a really long back and forth argument. Eventually, after a few shots of Jack later, he finally limbered up and relaxed. Well, here it is. The SingeDisclaimer: Oh boy, Lathyrus took his precious time writing this behemoth of a chapter. Grab some popcorn, it's gonna' be a long one, but a good one, I'll promise you that. But before you continue, you are going to want to check out the sexy-freshness that is THIS MASTERPIECE before you continue, if you haven't already, even though you should have already. Well, for the long wait, here you go... Author's Note Well, that's what happens when you let a particular pony stay up all night typing. The clacking of typewriter keys are still ringing in my ears from the night. Maybe some JackDaniels will clear my mind, and Lathyrus's as well. Oh yeah, Daniel is best human. All other OC humans are irrelevant. The Pyre Author's Note Oh my, what did Lathyrus write?!?! This is what happens when your OC has nothing else to do to pass the time. This, and his heavy drinking. Now since Lathyrus had is long as hell turn on the typewriter, I think it's time to hand it over to Elyl for a while. Let's wait and see what he has to say on how he came to Earth. Give this sexy beast the love he rightfully deserves.
The Ember "So where are we headed?! We've been flying for a good couple of hours, you'd think we would have seen something by now! Are you even sure we're on the right track?!" I yelled through the searing wind that made even the most ear deafening bang near inaudible. I had no choice but to ride on Vendium's back, a blood red scaled dragon, whose eyes were a contradicting sky blue. I was always required to put my greatest grip forward as to prevent me from falling to my death to the far ground below. "Discord said it was this way, but I'm beginning to have doubts myself." Vendium stated. Bellowing from his large vocal cords, he was much clearer and audible compared to me. Wisteria, the griffin who was with us, jerked his head to the right, toward our direction. "Will you two shut your traps?! He said it'll be this way, and it'll be this way, no questions asked!" he prompted with a sharp tone within his voice that cut through the high winds. He was always a griffin filled with contempt, always wanting to complete the task at hand as fast as he could. If he could, he would abandon me and Vendium, but he always followed Discord's orders to stay with us. He wore his usual black scarf that had holes torn through it around his head, fashioned like a hood to cover his face from unwanted eyes, having it flap and shake through the gust. He had a scar that ran from his left cheek to his right, grazing over his beak and making an indentation that would never vanish to it's original form. We all had bore injuries of our past experiences, such as Wisteria's scar, Vendium's chipped and crushed incisors, and my... burns. Vendium let out a rancid puff of smoke from his nostrils in hatred of the griffin. The smoke swept over his head, but onto my face. I couldn't rub my eyes, for loosening my grip would his scaly neck would send me off his back, then to the ground at high speeds, which won't be good for a common earth pony like myself. My eyes teared, but I looked away from Wisteria, for I couldn't let him see me like this, even if it was for something as trivial as smoke in my eye. I managed to rub my face against the fur of my shoulder hoping it would sooth my eye, but it only made things harder to see. After a few moments, the stinging pain began to subside. I still had trouble seeing, but I could make out blurry images in the distance. Lights. Lights, along with houses and small shops scattered along the streets, full of color and vivid character. "See, I told you two we were on the right path. There it is. Ponyville." the shimmer in Wisteria's eyes began to grow. His excitement only increased the closer we got to the settlement. Our speed began to decrease at a more drifting rate, allowing me to loosen my grasp on Vendiums neck. With a hoof, I pulled out a scarf of my own, one similar to Wisteria's, out of an abused saddlebag from my side. The only difference between our scarves was that his was torn, while mine had spots where it was charred rough. I huddled closer to Vendium's neck so that he would hear me. "Vendium, aren't you going to need one?" I asked, trying to look out for someone who would maybe look out for me. "Nobody will care, or frankly, I don't care if somebody recognizes me," he rumbled in his bass filled voice. I could feel by skin rattle since I was closely huddled on him. "I lost everything, so being wanted in another town won't matter to me." He whispered the last sentence, still with the shaking undertone. Wisteria sarcastically rolled his eyes to the opposite direction. "Why the hell would you care. We're all wanted, so scarf or not, if they manage to capture us, then we're done. All over. Nothing left but to rot in some forsaken dungeon somewhere." The town's lights began to shut off. One by one, the lamps hung outside of the houses were blown off, smoking the last ember of their wicks. It appeared they were awaiting our arrival. "Vendium, they know we're coming. They probably got word of our actions in the other towns. Should we turn back or do we-" "Damn it! We're going to finish this if it costs us our lives, got that?!" Wisteria spat, just wanting to get there as quick as he can and enjoy his time there. Shutters were being slammed shut and doors were closing tight. Wisteria dived straight to the ground, followed by Vendium and me on his back. Wisteria landed first, letting out a fierce growl as soon as his talons made contact with the green grass, then shot like a cannon into the town, keeping his distance in the air hovering distance from the ground, dragging the grass along down his abdomen. "Get back now!" Vendium roared, bellowing a command that would frighten even the hardest of hearts. He continued to speed into the town. "I can see the town hall. I'm going to get started. You guys can get the rest, right?!" With that, his voice faded off into the dark night, soon to be lit. "He's not coming back. If he's going to get started, then we have no choice but to do the same," I informed Vendium. I secured my scarf over my head, tightening it so it wouldn't slip off if I were to get into some sort of quarrel. Vendium flapped his scaly wings, hovering over the green land, making the blades of grass ripple and wave with the powerful wind coming from beneath us. I jumped from his neck and onto the shaking earth. It was the same as always. Wisteria leaves, I head to the outskirts, and Vendium goes towards the center. This night however, felt strange. The wind felt... colder? No that wasn't it. It was just this feeling that this night would be different from the others. "Are you alright, Lathyrus?" Vendium asked, about to go his separate way. "Yeah. I'm fine." I know he could sense the worry on me. He was a dragon afterall. "Will you be fine going alone?" "Yeah, don't worry about me. It's going to be the same as always, huh?" "Yes. See you on the other side." I trotted away from him, adjusting my scarf, hoping this would be just another time where it's the same as always.
The Flame"Oh Vendium... I almost forgot!" With that, I set my saddlebag on the ground and unbuckled it open. Rummaging through it, I found what I was searching for. A torch about two feet in length. I had wrapped the top of it with a cloth that I had soaked in oil before we made our trip to Ponyville. The smell flared my nostrils, informing me of what's to come. I grasped it in one hoof, and held it high over my head before Vendium. "I forgot my flint. I need you to light this." He brought his head closer, breathing in a puff of air into his lungs. His chest inflated, filling with the fire that rose from his stomach. In a push of his breath, fire escaped from the gaps of his teeth and to the torch. The tip ignited, like an explosion, trailing a 'wooshing' sound that trapped the air around it. I could feel the intensity of the flames as it burst from his mouth. It didn't bother me, for I have done this too many time before, I grew a tolerance to heat. "Remember Lathyrus, that's your only one. Make it count." With that, he himself raced to the town, wings spread apart, gliding similar to Wisteria. A scream shrieked from the town, then followed by another, and then another. It appears Wisteria already made his presence apparent to them. Though in the far off distance, I could quite audibly hear the shattering of glass windows and the falling of rubble. The sounds of terror only increased in volume as soon as Vendium disappeared from my sight. I can't believe they started without me. Instinctively, I placed the torch in my teeth. I gritted it tight, and raced along the side of the town straight through the patches of trees as not to be seen by anypony. I headed left on a trail that was composed of dried dirt and dieing plants. What better thing to do than keep my head low? Galloping through the hoof-grazing grass, I tilted my head, having the tip of the torch contact and wave through the lifeless vegetation. I led a trail of small but promising flames, licking at the oxygen that flowed through this cold and starry night. To my right, I could make out the town through the scattering of oak trees. More screams ensued, followed by puffs and clouds of smoke that rose to the sky. It appeared Vendium had already started his part. The smoke was black, surprisingly visible in the night. I could feel the ground vibrate and shake, assuring the he really was doing his part. I wished I could join them, but I was on my own from here on out. The track of fire behind me began to rise gradually, eventually licking the protruding branches above. Slowly but surely, the bark of the trees scorched and charred, then finally entirely alight. The shivering feeling in the air began to vanish, no longer cold, but warm. It felt comforting, but painful as well. I knew this torch wasn't going to last forever, so I had to make haste. I ran through the fores, jumping over roots and stumps projecting from the ground. The flames followed, even blazing at the same pace I was going. Branch after branch, I ducked through under them, hitting my torch along the dieing bark of the trees to produce flying embers that will spark their own fire. The path eventually came to a halt. It was a cross road, going a true left and a true right. To the right, the town, and the left, continuing to what I presumed was a path that would eventually lead into Canterlot . But dead center, a field, surrounded by low wooded fencing. There were acres upon acres of trees. Apple trees to be exact, huddled and woven closely together. In the middle, however, was a house, a house stylized like a red barn. I was only given the task of chaos, not murder, and I hoped it wouldn't get to it. The torch was starting to give out the last of it's fuel. The fire was begging to give out and turn to ash. I had no choice, no time. With a swift jerk of my head, I flung the torch into the vast land of apple trees. A few moments passed, but nothing. Maybe it died out and smoked before it could set anything alight. Moments passed, but nothing. I couldn't tell where it was, other than it was lodged somewhere within bushels of leaves. I started to lose hope, and I would have to head into the town to join Wisteria and Vendium. I trotted at a slower pace than previously, making my way to the town on the dirt road. A glowing aura snatched the attention of my eye from the corner of my peripheral vision, slightly blocked by my burned scarf. Smoke began to drift from the luscious green leaves of the trees and high above. In rapid succession, bright tongues of fire licked at the at the air, spreading out like a series of falling dominoes. I smiled, gazing at the blaze while my eyes reflected the warm light. I began to make my way, but the fire began to spread at an alarming rate. The thought that there might be ponies still in the house tugged at my heart, but I couldn't do anything for them now. Too late to go back now, might as well mark a death on my conscience. I pulled and huddled my scarf over my mouth. The strong aroma of the rising ash began to creep my way. Looking away, finally about to leave, I heard a grunt. An equine stood a good distance from behind me. He was a large one as well, belittling me in size and mass. His eyes shone a raging green that reflected the brightness of the fire. His coat, however, was the most memorable. It resembled him being covered in blood, being a crimson red. Grounding his hooves into the soot ground, he taunted me by letting out a snarl of air from his nostrils, resembling an enraged bull. I removed the scarf from my mouth, but kept it covering the top of my head. I examined him, wondering if he was going to make the move first. "Well?! What are you waiting for?!" My snide and impulsive reproach only made his eyes even further infuriated and his breathing harder. "I said what are you-" Before I could finish, he was well on his way to me. His head lowered, keeping his face directed to the ground while his forehead waited to impale me. I spread my stance firm on the ground, trying to keep my center of mass closer to the ground. In an instance before I could make any other move, I felt the collision of his head to the cor of my neck. Pushing with relentless force, dragging my hooves and trailing endless dust from the ground, he pinned me against a burning tree. I could feel the full force of my back slamming against the tree. The slam whipped my head back, catching me further off guard and asphyxiating my mind from coming up with any reflexive thoughts. Still being pressed against what felt like a concrete wall, I pressed my hind legs against the ground in an attempt to pry myself off and give me some sort of chance against him. It didn't work. He pushed again, slamming me back once more. His head pulled up quickly, colliding with the bottom of my jaw. I could have sworn I heard something snap within my mouth. He retreated for a second, allowing me to back off, only to ram me again, this time in my chest area. Blunt force went straight to my lungs. My breathing became more difficult, in conjunction with my barraged throat and the oxygen lacking air that surrounded us. I could feel something trickle in my mouth. The taste of blood became apparent, warm and tasting of metal. I smiled, letting the blood seep and ooze between my teeth, pouring out over my lips. I let out a slight chuckle, still being crushed, inevitably followed by a cough. I heaved out droplets of blood over the stallion's mane. He ignored it, continuing his battery without stop. I didn't know what to do next, so I swung my head to one side, crashing into his. He stopped, but only momentarily. It gave me enough time to squeeze my way out from between him and the tree. I presumed he was dazed, for when I strafed to to the right, he rammed to the tree once more, hoping I will be crushed again. I reared, waving my front hooves in the air, a rebuttal for my previous immobility. Shaking his head left and right to relieve some of the pain from his failed attack, he charged toward me. Blood started to flow from the top of his scalp, scaling down his already red fur, dampening it a dark shade of scarlet. His eyes squinted as if his daze affected his eyesight as well. Having my hooves still in the air, his snout clashed with the bottom of my hooves. I could feel a crunch, jolting up my limbs. I fell on my back, while he swayed slightly, pouring blood from his nostrils. I rose, galloping away from him a quickly as I could. He, of course, followed me with yet another head-butt charged for me. I swerved left and right, hoping I could cause him to crash into another tree again. He dodged through the acres as swift as me. He was smarter than I thought, despite his brute size. It was starting to become more difficult to see in this haze of smoke that started to lower and linger on the ground. Branch after branch, root after unforgiving root, I maneuvered my way over them, and unpleasantly so did he. I could hear his gargling breath get louder, assuming that he was in fact getting closer. The smoke began to fill my bleeding lungs. I started to be overcome with fatigue, and was beginning to slow down. I could sense his breathing only feet away from me, showing his great intention to kill me. My footing began to give out, making me stumble as we headed though the burning land. One small wrong footing, and I stumbled into a shallow but wide burrow in the ground. I felt my right hoof roll and mangle. A shock of pain surged like static. The red colt unavoidably rolled over my fallen body. I saw him reel with eccentric force, slamming skull first into a decade and blazing tree. I stared at him, forgetting about my sprained hoof. He laid still, with no sign of movement. "Hey...*cough, cough*" I tried to call out, but it was troublesome to speak with my bruised throat. I could see his head move increments, fighting his way to get up. I was weary. I didn't wish to fight anymore. His legs began to lift his body off the ground, wobbling and shaking, but still with energy left. I didn't care what his next move was. I only wanted to lay here for a while. A cracking sound came from above. One of the branches was giving out, snapping at the base. I payed my attention from the red colt stallion to the branch, hoping for any sort of usefulness would come out of it. I was right. Without warning, the branch slammed on his neck, bringing him downward with it. His body impacted the ground, leaving his neck contorted under the heaving branch. I couldn't feel any sort of relief from seeing this, believe it or not. A stallion, trying to defend what was precious to him, now perished. Blood leaked from his mouth, while his eyes were shut, giving no emotion from his motionless corpse. I wondered if I should stay here, to be consumed by my own fire. It felt like the best idea t the time. I began to close my eyes hoping for this to be over, but then, I saw. I saw her face. I saw her coat, an astonishing shaded orange. I saw her mane, a brilliant gold. I saw her eyes, an illuminated emerald green, flooded in tears.
The BlazeShe peered out from behind a tree, in a good distance far enough for me to only notice her stunning facial features from the thick smog. She trotted a bit closer, looking at me with sleek eyes. She paused for a second, only to walk toward the dead red colt. “Big Macintosh?” She said. She wasn't yelling, but I could sense a bit of a sob in her voice, with her eyes giving away her deeper emotions. She reached for an aged, cut-brim hat from the top of her head and set it on the ground. Her movements were cautiously slow, despite the burning scenery around us, crackles hitting the sky and echoing throughout. She sat facing away from me and to the colt. She lowered her head, nudging at the fellows head. “You, mare, you have to leave, and you have to leave now.” I called, but to no avail. I slowly got up, trying not to put pressure on my injured hoof. She was still nudging at the colt, not leaving his side. “I said you have to leave!” I exclaimed. She looked at me, now with an expression of anger fighting sorrow. She preoccupied herself once again with tending to the corpse of that dead stallion. She wasn't getting the message. I ripped a part of my scarf and instinctively wrapped it around my hurting hoof, making a temporary makeshift bandage. I ripped another piece off, and raced toward the mare. I pulled her away from the colt. Her hair was covered in the residue of blood from rubbing on the stallion's coat. She charged at me in the same style the colt did earlier, but not with as much force. She didn't want to fight, I could tell, but rather she wanted to vent out her anger and disgust. I caught her, still feeling the sting from my earlier injuries. “You killed Big Macintosh! How could ya!” She only pushed harder,her tears rubbing against my coat, and her words choking in her sorrow. I pushed her off, throwing her to the ground. Before she could get a hold of herself, I picked her up and put my hoof to her lips, covering her mouth with the spare piece of cloth. I began to drag her out of this searing orchard. “NO! Get yer murderin' hooves offa' me!” Her voice was loud, even though it was muffled through the cloth over her mouth. She tugged and pulled to get away, but I only gripped her harder and harder. We go the the dirt road in front of the orchard. I pulled away the cloth from her mouth and kept pushing her along. “Who are you?!” She demanded an answer, still with tears running down her eyes, and the sense of panic running through her. I looked away from her, wondering if I should explain myself and my actions before I leave. I gave it some thought, but then I saw. I saw five other mares. One brightly colored pink earth pony, and regretfully, two pegasi and two unicorns. The two pegasi, one being a bright yellow and the other being a vivid cyan color. With the two unicorns, one was a washed out white, while the other was a subtle lavender. I had to leave quick. I didn't want to answer any questions. “Applejack!” One of the unicorns called out; the lavender one to be exact. “There was a dragon and a griffon causing chaos in the town, then we saw flames coming from Sweet Apple Acres, so we came to help and see if you were ok. We-”, the unicorn stopped in her tracks, leading the other four to stop as well. “Who's this?” The flying cyan pegasus with a multi-colored mane zoomed in on her flight. “This must be one of the guys that were causing trouble. He even has the same scarf as that griffon!” I hated pegasi and unicorns with a blood lust. Nothing made my anger stand on end than the site of them, those wretched creatures. I stood my ground, adjusting my scarf. The orange mare I had dragged through the trees ran down the road and into the town in an apparent flee to get away from me. “Applejack, wait!” the white unicorn called out. With out wasting time, she trailed the mare, with the pink earth pony and the yellow pegasus following after. That left the lavender unicorn and the cyan pegasus, the wrong company for me. “Alright, that does it! Let's go, tough guy!” the pegasus cried out. Her wings shot back, sending her to my direction in a rapid glide. I swung my head to the side, with my turning with it. I managed to absorb her hit, though it sent my sliding back quite a distance. “I'm not in the mood of fighting.”I said as sternly as I could while trying to keep calm, but she wasn't listening. She landed on the ground and charged toward me, using her wings to boost her speed. I pushed my body the second she collided with me. With a split second in my favor, I wrapped my hooves around her and slammed her to the ground, pinning her under my weight. I could feel the force of the drop rushing through my hooves. She let out a small surge of pain, still with an aggravated look upon her face. “As I said once before, I'm not in the mood of fighting”, I said without raising my voice, but bringing my face closer to hers, and with a slight growl. “Rainbow!”, the unicorn yelled. I looked up to her, and saw her horn glowing a bright shining aura. “Get out from under him, Rainbow!” The pegasus squirmed from underneath me, escaping the grasp I had on her, trotting closer to the unicorn. Suddenly, I felt my muscles tense up. I began to feel heavier. “I'm casting a spell that should immobilize him, so he's not going anywhere.” The unicorn said this so calmly, and with a menacing smile. I started to become enraged. I could see the pegasus smiling as well. My limbs began to feel strained, and my hoof began to feel immense pressure. “You... take this spell off of me now!” I ordered. The unicorn's expression grew strained, and I could feel myself being weighed down even more. I fell to he ground, hitting the dirt with my underside as if someone just dropped me. The pressure started to build up. I had no choice. I couldn't let them get a hold of me. It would ruin everything if they did. I picked myself up, legs and arms shaking and pushing themselves beyond their limit, despite the terrible weight put on me. I had to keep walking, no matter what. I could feel the bones in my injured hoof snap. The shock went straight up my front limb. I let out a loud yelp, but I continued none the less. The unicorn's expression grew from that of confidence to that of worry. “That's impossible!” She exclaimed. “Very few people have that sort of strength to continue to move under this spell!” “More, Twilight!” The pegasus pleaded. It felt as if I was being tasked with carrying the sins of myself on my back, every regret came back just to push me down. “Take this spell off of me now, or I will come over and break off that damn horn of yours!” “That's it!” The pegasus called out, “You're dead!” “Wait, Dash!” The unicorn stated, but to no avail. I continued to inch my way to her. Once again, the pegasus hurried to my. Seeing as this is as good as any opportunity I could get, I grabbed her and pinned her to the ground once more. This time, with one hoof over her neck. “This spell makes me heavier, huh? Well then, I guess that means that so will any force I put on anything, am I correct?” I explained while looking at the unicorn. Her face only grew more worrisome. “Undo this spell, or I crush your friends neck!” I felt the pressure from my body release, fading back into my normal weight again. I hurled the cyan pegasus toward the unicorn with what ever strength I had left. In unison, they both tumbled to the ground. The lavender mare got up, with the pegasus still on the ground. “No more playing around!” she yelled. With a small and steady hiss, the tip of her horn began to glow a sharp and eye burning white. I could hear a charging sound coming from her. “This will take care of you!”. Sweat began to drip from her mane and her eyes began to glow an ominous white. A low and rumbling roar presented itself in the sky. I smiled; Vendium was well on his way over, I presumed. “Um, Twilight...” the pegasus begged, but the unicorn was still in a state of concentration. I saw Vendium, hovering over the burning apple orchard, making his way toward us. “Lathyrus.”, he called out with a rumble. With a swift jolt, he dived to the ground, shaking the earth as his feet plummeted to the ground. Dust rose from the quake, floating along with the smoke. “Quick, get close to me.” I followed his order, huddling tight to his scaly body. He stretched out his wing, covering me from the direction of the unicorn. With the sound of escaping energy, the mare discharged a beam of light, surrounded by static electricity to Vendium's wing. I couldn't directly see the blast, but I could well hear it. The sky filled with a brief moment of white light, while I could feel the heat from inside his wing. The sky faded black again, and Vendium removed his wing. He didn't mind the pain, since the expression on his face was constant. I climbed up on his back, with the mare's starring in disbelief. “Hey, where's Wisteria?” I asked. Vendium didn't really answer my question. “He didn't follow orders. What ever happens to him is his own fault.” We began to take off, hovering into the smoke filled sky.
The BurnWe've been soaring through the cloud riddled air for quite some time by now, I'm guessing for a couple of hours. Celestia's sun began to shine through the holes in the clouds, casting off a bright glow that cast off through the distance. Still in it's early time of the day, the sun displayed an angry red. Holding onto Vendium's neck, I began to feel drowsy, eyes starting to become heavy and dreary. We weren't going at such a rapid pace, so it gave me admission to close my eyes. Soon, I fell asleep. It was a lovely feeling, being able to put my mind at rest while gliding through the air at calming speeds, having the sun cast off heart over my coat. My hooves and neck had still ached from last night, but it didn't worry me much any more. My mind had time to rest, but instead, it still pondered about the events of last night. Who was that colt I killed? Who were those young mares that tried to stop me? Who was she, the one who stood over the red colt? My time for rest turned into a prison, where the walls were regrets and the bars are the flames of which I started. It was hard not to think about it, but yet I did. “Lathyrus, wake up. We're here,” Vendium stated, but anything coming from him just sounds like a roar. I slowly lifted up my heard, gazing around. We're back home, or rather, what we can call a home; a cave. It was in a remote area, far from unwanted guests, in the middle of a damned wasteland. We needed a place big enough so that Vendium could enter and stay, and we found this place long ago. There is a lake, but it's usually dried up, only on rare occasions of rain does it fill. Thistles and dead bushes scattered around, surrounded by dying trees. Without having some sort of guide or knowledge of this place, it would be quite difficult to find. It's usually dark here, unlike today, due to gray clouds that pass through, but rarely ever spare a drop of rain. I couldn't feel Vendium land, even though he is a large dragon. I soon jumped off his back and hit the ground. I forgot that I was still injured. I fell onto my side, feeling the shock of the ground go through my hoof. I let out a small grunt of pain, only to pick myself back up and keep walking. Vendium made his way to his side of the cavern, which still to my surprise, isn't littered with gemstones. I would always hear of how dragons would hoard shiny objects, mostly jewels, but he had none. I would ask him why, but he would only answer with a simple grunt, followed by a small puff of smoke from his nostrils. My side, which was quite a distance from Vendium, was a large crevice in the wall within the wall of the cave, which had all my belongings. A poor makeshift bedding, consisting of abandoned cloth, a beat up crate with my stuff, and of course, a protruding rock from the wall where I usually hang my saddlebags and scarf. I searched around the crate for another piece of cloth. Finding one, I ripped it into a long but thin piece and began to wrap it around my front left hoof over the already last-minute cast. It worked, a bit, I suppose. I sat against the wall, leaning my head against it. I pulled off my scarf, dragging if along my mane, then tossed it aside. I didn't feel like hanging it up at the moment. I left on my saddlebags, however. I had a couple of small twigs and bundles of tinder beside me. Might as well make a fire. I gathered them from around me, and bundled them together before me. I pushed them a bit further; don't want to be to close to the fire than I already have before. I sat back and reached into my crate. I dug around, rummaging through the various objects I kept for myself. Deep at the bottom, I found what I had been searching for. A small flint. An oddly shaped stone, jagged edges, and a distinct red coloring. I leaned forward, edging closer to the pile of tinder. Without much effort, I struck the flint across the rocky ground on the edge of the pile. Sparks jumped and scattered. One by one, they flew left and right, with a few hitting the dried wood. Eventually, after continuous trial and error, a small ember glow began to proceed from the sparks and lit the tinder ablaze. I put my flint into my saddlebag, so I won't forget it again, and leaned my head back against the wall, and began to shut my eyes. I listened to the pops and snaps from the fire. Behind the sounds of the fire, however, was an echo. An echo of a chuckle. I opened my eyes, searching from where it came from. From the distance, I notice Vendium also heard it as well. It was a rather snide chuckle, one of sadism and borderline insanity. The fire I had laid before began to grow at an exponential rate, licking the air as it grew. I reached into the crate beside me, hoping to find something to eat and get my mind off it. I would sometimes take along food from our travels,and store it here, since the only place that has some sort of edible vegetation wasn't for another two to three hours away. Any sort of fruit, any sort of vegetable, grain, oat, sweet, even hey would suffice in keeping down my hunger. Sifting my hoof around, I eventually came across something. Something round, and plump. I pulled it out, wondering what it could be. To my surprise, an apple. A shining red and brightly colored apple. Without hesitation, I took a large bite from it, almost right down the middle, biting off an entire half of it. My mouth became bitter. I spat out the apple, looking at the remaining half in my hoof. Completely rotten from the inside. I tossed the remainder near the place I spat to, near the fire. Something caught my eye, however. I leaned in closer to the piece I spat out, coming closer to the fire. I looked over the rancid black coloring of the mashed insides of the apple. A dark crimson red leaked through. Blood. I put my hoof over my mouth and wiped my lips. Droplets of blood puddled on my fur. I searched the insides of my mouth with my tongue to see if I could find any cuts. None to be found. I coughed, terribly hard. It almost felt as if my lungs were being contracted. Of course, more blood flew from my throat and onto the cave floor. The maniacal laugh made it's self present once more. Vendium woke back up, peeking around with his slit eyes. The fire before me grew larger. I hopped out from the crevice I was in and to the middle of the cave's area. An ominous green aura shone from the blazes of the fire, dancing wildly. “Not him again,” I thought to my self. The fire changed from the ominous green to a dreadful blue. The from the blue to a searing red, then to a variety of colors. Vendium got up, then crawled closer to where I was, examining the flame like I was. “Discord, present yourself,” Vendium bellowed, followed by his trademark smokey nostrils. “Now Vendium no need to be so hasty.” His figure appeared, waling form the flames. His demented way of thought always put me on edge, but Vendium showed almost no fear what so ever. Wisteria, however, never wanted to be anywhere near him. After walking a few feet from the blazes of the fire, he slithered into the air over and behind like a snake diving through water. Me and Vendium didn't turn around to see him, but we were well sure of his presence. “Now... where is Wisteria?” Discord questioned. Neither I nor Vendium said anything, nor did we want to say anything. I slowly turned back to see him, twisting my head slightly but still keeping my body facing forward. He wasn't there. I was certain I heard his voice behind me, as if he had place his mouth inches away from my neck, even as so much to feel his breath. I turned my whole body around, trying to search for him. “Lathyrus, don't,” Vendium said. Before I could react to his words, I felt a swift claw swipe against my side. I was a mix of blunt force and sharp speed from his clawed hand. I fell to my side, only to have his monstrous eyes peering over me. “We can do this very easily, Lathyrus. Let's not let the get out of hand. His grin showed his aged teeth. Rotting, yet just as sharp and carnivorous as ever. “He disobeyed orders and left the group without warning, Discord,” Vendium responded. Discord forgot me and appeared in front of Vendium. Discord was enraged, yet Vendium showed no sort of nervousness. Discord walked in closer to Vendium, with is head facing Vendium but his eyes toward me. “And you didn't stop him because...?” Discord pondered. I began to pick myself up, facing Discord with as great of any sort of intimidating stare that I could muster up; I couldn't let Discord think he had complete control over me., although by the looks of it that was probably the case. Vendium was ready to respond. Before he could give up a reply, someone make their way to the entrance of the cave. Wisteria. “Ah, Wisteria, how nice of you to join.” Discord said without even looking at Wisteria, putting on the most sinister smile on his face. Wisteria was covered in scuffs and scrapes, adding a few additional scars to the one across his beak. Bruises were surprisingly visible through his dirty white feathers, while blood trickled from wounds on the side of his head. His scarf was in worse condition than it was before, shredded and riddled with holes. Wisteria's stance of anger turned into a stance of fear. Before he could get a good wing speed to get off the ground, Discord had already appeared behind him, slithering over him and blocking the cave entrance. Discoreds clawed arm, the same one he used to strike me with, wrapped around Wisteria's head. Effortlessly, Wisteria was picked up off the ground by Discord almost as if a filly were playing a with a ragdoll. He brought him closer to his face, still with that smile on his face. Wisteria grabbed for Discords fingers, but he only crushed his skull harder. “Now then,” Discord stated, “do mind telling us what happened to you?” Wisteria squirmed, nudging and shaking while in the grasp of Discord. “Th- there were r- royal guards waiting there!” Wisteria pleaded and screamed, letting out a small shriek of agony afterwards. “And do you care to explain why you were captured by the royal guards and had to fight your way through them?” Discord asked, with his eyes fixed on Wisteria. “I-I-I left the group! P- Please let go Discord!” That was enough to send Discord into a fit of rage. With an almost effortless throw, Wisteria crashed into the cavern wall just like the ragdoll he was, sliding down, unconscious, bleeding. Vendium didn't even bother to look. He still had his eyes set on Discord. I, on the other hand, could care less for what happened to Wisteria, bit it was a sight to behold. “As for you, Lathyrus.” I turned around to see Discord, but he was inches away from my eyes. His eyes glowed with the fire beside us. Both his hands wrapped around me. Before any sort of thought could process it's way through my mind, he slithered with me in his arms to and out the entrance of the cave. With a sharp turn, we soared high above the cave, reaching toward the dark clouds that now blocked all sunlight from coming through. We were surrounded by clouds, dark gray in shade, little light coming through. He held me out by the neck with one claw. I held my hooves over his wrist to grab for some leverage. “I watched what happened yesterday, Lathyrus, and to say the least, I'm not pleased. Not one bit. You didn't finish burning off the area. You are going to finish the job, and you're not coming back until you do. Not until every square acre of Ponyville is in flames, understand?” I couldn't catch a breath. My head started too feel light, and my vision began to blur, leaving Discord's face into a silhouette. I began to choke and heave, spitting blood trough my teeth and onto his hand. Discord looked at it, turning his ferocious look into a sadistic smile, then a laugh. “And by the looks of it, Lathyrus, you don't have much time left! Haha, priceless!” His grip began to loosen. Though it was great that it would allow be a breath of air, but worse in which we were hundreds of feet from the ground. “Have fun.” His fingers let go, along with a final laugh from him. Blood began to flow back into my head, and my vision began to clear up. Wind rushed over my body as I began to fall. My ears were popping due to the altitude and the speed, my mane was blowing as air swirled around me, and my hooves dangled upward as I faced the ground. Sure, this was the perfect time to yell a final word or something, but no one would hear, no one to care to hear, no one to care that I was falling to my death. The ground came in closer, along with the surrounding rocks and cave. As I drew closer to the ground, everything began to grow darker than it already was. I looked at myself, however, and I was the same shade of color when I began my free fall. A dark foggy aura surrounded me, huddling in closer like being trapped in a burning room. I couldn't see the ground anymore, nor the sky, nor Discord. I closed my eyes, not knowing what my fate was, but awaiting it anyway.
The Flicker Author's Note: Yes, that is real blood. I asked Lathyrus how it got there. He still hasn't given me a straight answer.
The Sear Author's Note: After I let Lathyrus use my typewriter, I usually skim over what he had written. When I got to the last part, saying that he caused Fluttershy to run in tears, I didn't know what to do. I asked him about it, but he just doesn't want to talk to me, no matter what. Oh well. Maybe he'll come around after he finishes his next chapter.
The Flash Author's Note Hello everybody. Well, here goes a new chapter Lathyrus wrote. He hasn't been able to sleep much lately, and he is starting to become a bit more distant, even though he is already too distant to begin with. He begins to look like a nervous wreck every time he sits in front of a typewriter, yet he never wants to leave from it. Also, you might want to check this out before you venture any further into Lathyrus's story. Here.
The HeatOkay, now that you have made it this far, you need to know this now. If you have not yet read this yet, you will be unimaginably lost. Read it. It's amazing. That story and this one are like a pair. You can't have one without the other. It's amazing, I promise you. While you're at it, go check out his other stories as well. He's an exceptional writer. Well, here's the next installment of 'Scorched'. Enjoy... __________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note Sweet black baby Jesus! Shit just got real!
The Glint Author's Note: I never should have introduced Jack Daniels to Lathyrus. Sure we'll enjoy the occasional drink, but he tends to take things just a bit too far, and I kind of get dragged along as well. We'll usually agree to a Jack and Coke mix, then we somehow end up trying to out drink each other. Sometimes things get a bit out of hand; we can sometimes end up arguing then end up in a brawl. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to set his drinks on fire and make fiery cocktails. I hope it doesn't come to that. Also: EternalShadow54, I hope you resolve those issues of yours and take care.
The Flare Author's Note: This is what happens when you let your OC use your typewriter. If you guys like this format, I'll submit the rest of the story by old-fashioned typewriter.
The Scald Author's Note. Well, it appears here on out that I'm going to let Lathyrus use my typewriter. I feel as if it's better for the charcter to tell the story, rather than me.
The Glow Author's Note: It's been a while since an update. Lathyrus has been kind of down, recently, I finally got him to write another chapter after a really long back and forth argument. Eventually, after a few shots of Jack later, he finally limbered up and relaxed. Well, here it is.
The SingeDisclaimer: Oh boy, Lathyrus took his precious time writing this behemoth of a chapter. Grab some popcorn, it's gonna' be a long one, but a good one, I'll promise you that. But before you continue, you are going to want to check out the sexy-freshness that is THIS MASTERPIECE before you continue, if you haven't already, even though you should have already. Well, for the long wait, here you go... Author's Note Well, that's what happens when you let a particular pony stay up all night typing. The clacking of typewriter keys are still ringing in my ears from the night. Maybe some JackDaniels will clear my mind, and Lathyrus's as well. Oh yeah, Daniel is best human. All other OC humans are irrelevant.
The Pyre Author's Note Oh my, what did Lathyrus write?!?! This is what happens when your OC has nothing else to do to pass the time. This, and his heavy drinking. Now since Lathyrus had is long as hell turn on the typewriter, I think it's time to hand it over to Elyl for a while. Let's wait and see what he has to say on how he came to Earth. Give this sexy beast the love he rightfully deserves.
