My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria: Act 1: Fire

by Atlantis Productions

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Main 6, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Other, Starlight Glimmer, Original Character, Spike, Comedy
Length: 8431

With a fiery tyrant on the horizon, and both Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember kidnapped, it falls to Starlight, Spike, and the rest of the Mane 6 to stop this menace before Equestria burns.

A fiery tyrant from a thousand years ago kidnaps Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember. Now, the Mane 5, Starlight, and Spike must race to stop this ancient tyrant and his army from burning Equestria to the ground.

Disclaimer: I don't own MLP: FiM

Published 2016-05-05 21:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-06-15 00:57:18 UTC

Prologue: A Spark of Revolution

“Fire. One of the most powerful and dangerous elements that makes up this world. As fire can bring warmth and light, it has become a symbol of Hope and Courage. But you must also be careful with it, as fire also has the ability to destroy and spread fear. When playing with fire, somepony is going to get burned, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. So you can send your protectors, your ‘Elements of Harmony’, but just know my General will show no mercy. By the time he’s done with you, all that you value will be nothing but ash and soot.”

It was late at night in Ponyville. Luna’s moon shone down and the stars were twinkling above. Everypony was asleep peacefully, with the exception of two figures lurking in the dark outside Twilight’s castle.

One of these figures was a red Unicorn mare with orange eyes, white hooves, a wind-swept orange and yellow mane that looked like fire, and a matching tail. On her front hooves were two rings with a ruby encrusted into them. Her cutie mark was a lit torch.

The other figure was an orange Dragon with red spines down its back. Despite it clearly being an adult, it was about as big as any other teenage Dragon.

The two intruders entered the main door of the castle and quietly closed the door behind them. Inside it was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight coming through the windows and reflecting off the crystals.

The dragon licked his lips and started heading for the nearest column of crystal. He was about to take a bite out of it when the Unicorn pulled him back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked in a hushed, yet harsh voice.

“I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry. Now focus, we have a job to do and I’d like for there to be no other evidence that we were here than what we came here for. Got it?” she scolded.

“I got it.” the Dragon answered, looking slightly disappointed.

The intruders continued walking through the castle. The Unicorn cast an X-ray vision spell so she could see through the doors without needing to open them all.

It took less than five minutes for them to get lost.

“Wow, this place is like a labyrinth. It looked so small of the outside, and you’d think that there would be a few signs somewhere,” said the Unicorn, “Wait, I think we’ve found her.” The Unicorn pointed at one of the many door.

She approached it and opened it enough to see inside. There, in her bed, was the sleeping form of Princess Twilight.

“We’ve found her.” The two intruders then disappeared into the room.

Meanwhile, in the Dragonlands…

Dragonlady Ember was fast asleep, tired from a relatively busy day. She had to settle three different disputes all across the Dragonlands, one of them involving a piano and a wheel of cheese (don’t ask). Needless to say, it was exhausting. Ember fell right to sleep.

Not too far away, a young Unicorn mare about fourteen or fifteen years old was talking to a teenage Dragon.

The Unicorn had a red coat, equally red eyes, an orange and white mane and tail that looked like fire, and a flame for her cutiemark. If you couldn’t guess already, this Unicorn was the other fire-themed Unicorn’s daughter. On her back was a leather saddlebag.

And you’d never guess who the Dragon she was talking to was. Time’s up, it’s Garble, that bully Dragon.

“Alright, I’ll help you,” he said, “But only if you keep your end of the deal.”

“Usually I make no promises, but for you I think I can make an exception, Garble,” replied the Unicorn with a mischievous smirk.

Garble and the Unicorn headed towards Ember’s castle, which was really just a large cave built into the mountain that the Dragonlord (or in this case, Dragonlady) used as a throne.

The two intrudes crept through the castle/cave as quietly as possible. Eventually they found Ember’s chamber. Inside, Ember was fast asleep, perfect for their plan to work.

The Unicorn pulled a fire-proof gag out of her saddlebag and got in position. They have to act fast if this was going to work. Garble grabbed a few ropes out of the saddlebag and got position as well. The Unicorn then started counting down from 3.

“3…2...1...now!”

The Unicorn shoved the gag in Ember’s mouth and tied it as quickly as possible. This, combined with the noise from the Unicorn’s shouting, caused Ember to wake up.

Garble quickly tied Ember’s wings and arms behind her back. Then the Unicorn used a spell to incapacitate her.

“Couldn’t you have done that from the start?” ask Garble.

“She was already asleep, the spell wouldn’t have worked,” replied the Unicorn, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

And just like that, the two kidnappers escaped into the night.

The next morning…

“Twilight! Twilight!” Starlight called.

“Good morning, Starlight,” said Spike, walking out of the bathroom.

“Hey, Spike. Have you seen Twilight? I can’t seem to find her.”

“Hmm, have you checked the throne room?”

“Mmhm, not there.”

“The dining room?”

“Not there either.”

“The library?”

“That was the first place I checked.”

“Oh boy, if Twilight’s not in the library, then I wouldn’t know where she is. Wait, did you check her bedroom?”

At this Starlight face hoofed. “How could I have been so stupid? That’s the one place I didn’t check.”

“Well in your defense, Twilight loves books.”

The two friends ran to Twilight’s roomed and entered. As you can guess, Twilight wasn’t there. Instead, there was a note on her bed.

Spike read the note. After he was done he said, “Oh no, oh no, oh no! This is a ransom note. Somepony has kidnapped Twilight!”

“What? Let me see that.” Spike handed Starlight the note.

“Dear friends of Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she started to read, “If you ever want to see you friend Twilight again, you will surrender to the magnificent Count Scorch and his army. If you try to fight, things will be most unpleasant for the princess. Sincerely, I.” Starlight put the letter down. “This is very, very bad.”

“What do we do?” Spike asked.

“Spike, you send a letter to Princess Celestia telling her about our situation. I’m going to gather our friends.”

“Alright.”

Starlight ran out of the library and headed towards the front door. Once she exited the castle, she bumped right into a Dragon.

This Dragon was about three times Starlight’s height, with purple scaled, blue spines down his back and equally blue frills on the side of his head.

“Oh, excuse me,” said the Dragon, “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Um, what exactly are you doing here?”

“I’m here to talk to Princess Twilight’s assistant, Spike. I think I may be his father.”

To be continued...

Author's Note

Who is this mysterious Count Scorch? What does he want with Twilight and Ember? Who is this Dragon who claims he might be Spike's father? Why did one of Ember's disputes involve a piano and a wheel of cheese?
All these questions and more answered next time on "My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria".

The next chapter will be on May 9th. Can anyone guess why?

Igniting the Fire

Previously on “My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria”:

Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember have both been kidnapped late at night by the mysterious Count Scorch. The following morning, Starlight and Spike found Twilight missing and a ransom note in her place. When about to go get their friends, Starlight bumped into a Dragon who claims he might be Spike’s father.

Starlight had gathered all her friends into the throne room of Twilight’s castle. Each of the Mane 5 sat on their respectively thrones, including Spike in his smaller throne. Since Twilight wasn’t here, Starlight took Twilight’s throne. The Dragon stood next to one of the walls.

“What do you mean Twilight’s been foalnapped?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I mean Spike and I found this note on Twilight’s bed,” answered Starlight, levitating the ransom note over to her rainbow-maned friend.

After reading the note, Rainbow said, “Okay, now I understand. This is very bad.” You could almost hear in her voice that she was starting to freak out.

“So, if Twi’s been foalnapped, an’ we have no idea where she is, how are we s’pose to save ‘er?” asked Applejack.

“I agree,” said Rarity, “If there’s no way of knowing where Twilight is, then how can we even begin?”

“I have a plan,” said Starlight.

“This ought to be good,” said the Dragon. This caused all the ponies to look towards the Dragon.

“And who might you be exactly?” asked Rarity.

“Uh, duh. That’s Spike’s might-be father,” said Pinkie.

“Uh Pinkie, how did you know that?” started Starlight.

“Haven’t you read the last chapter. It was only one of the prologue’s big cliffhangers.”

“Pinkie, what are you even talking about?”

Pinkie was about to answer, but Rainbow interjected. “Starlight, it’s Pinkie Pie, don’t question it.”

“Point taken,” agreed Starlight, “Anyways, I do believe Pinkie is right, even if it is hard to understand her antics sometimes. Care to introduce yourself, Mr…”

“Vulcan. My name’s Hephaestus Vulcan,” said the Dragon, approaching the table, “But you can just call me “Heph”.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Vulcan. So, what do you mean when you say you might be Spike’s father?” asked Starlight.

“What I mean is there’s a possibility that Spike is my long lost son, but I don’t know for sure. I was hoping Princess Twilight might be able to use some sort of DNA-scanning spell or something, but it appears I’ve come at an inconvenient time,” Heph answered.
Starlight thought for a moment, then came to a conclusion. “Okay, well, I can probably do the scan for you, but finding Twilight is our top priority.”

“Understood. I’ll help in any way I can, whether it be morally, physically, magically, or even emotionally.”

“Hold the phone! You can you magic?” Rarity asked.

“Of course. I’m a Mage Dragon.”

“I didn’t know Dragons could use magic,” said Fluttershy quietly, “Wait, what’s a Mage Dragon.”

“Yes, well, there are two kinds of Dragons: Goliaths and Mages. Goliath Dragons tend to be more brutal and aggressive, while Mage Dragons, like myself, are of a better, more calm nature. We’re more rational and and we only grow as big as Goliath Dragons when we embrace our inner greed.”

“So much about Spike is starting to make sense,” said Pinkie Pie ironically, “Wait, what about wings?”

“Glad you asked. You see Mage Dragons aren’t born with their wings like Goliath Dragons, Mage Dragons go through a form of puberty and their wings literally grow in over night. I’m sorry, I think I got carried away. I believe we should be worrying about Twilight.”

“Right. So Spike, did you sent Princess Celestia that letter?” Starlight asked.

“Yep, I did. Just waiting for her to get back to me.” Suddenly, green flames burst out of Spike’s mouth and a letter materialized out of the flames.

“Well, speak of the devil,” said Rainbow.

“Yeah,” agreed Pinkie Pie, “That was very convenient timing.”

“Agreed,” said Starlight, “So, Spike.”

“Already on it.” Spike cleared his throat and started reading, “Dear Spike, I received your letter and I too am concerned. I have already sent word to Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. If you would please come to Canterlot as soon as possible, I think I could shed some light on the situation (no pun intended). Sincerely, Princess Celestia.”

“Alright, I guess we know where to go next,” said Rainbow.

When Twilight came to, she couldn’t see very well and she felt like she was melting. And rightfully so as the heat of the place where she was was practically unbearable. It was as if the surface of the sun was only a few feet away.

After a few seconds, Twilight’s vision cleared and she was able to see her surroundings. She appeared to be in a hollow volcano. She noticed that she was tied to a large brimstone column, high above a large pool of lava. To her left, there was a tunnel which probably led out of the cave, and to her right was a throne made of rubies and red granite. Next to the throne stood an obsidian statue of a creature Twilight had never seen before. It looked like an Alicorn stallion crossed with a dragon. Straight across from her was another brimstone column, and tied to it was an unconscious Dragonlady Ember.

Twilight tried to use her magic to untie herself, but she found that her magic wasn’t working.

“Don’t even try,” said a feminine voice, “We placed a magic suppressor on your horn the moment we got you.”

Twilight looked towards the cave entrance to see the Unicorn and the Dragon that had abducted her. “Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?”

“Woah, slow down there, Princess. One question at a time,” said the Unicorn, “Firstly, my name’s Inferna, Royal Advisor to the Count. This is Blaiz, my husband. Secondly, welcome to Mt. Furnace, prison of the Count himself. Thirdly, I don’t want anything from you, but the Count does.”

“Wait, who’s this Count you keep mentioning?”

The Unicorn raised an eyebrow at this. “You don’t know? I’m surprised. I would have thought Celestia would have told you about the Count, considering their history.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Well…”

(Sung to the tune of “In the Dark of the Night” from “Anastasia”)
Sung by Inferna and Blaiz

In the heart of the fire we were burning and searing,
And the heat of the flames were as hot as can be,
It scorched our skin into ash,
Our bones to cinders in a flash,
Then the flames subsided,
And the fire was He!

He was once the most magnificent stallion in all Equestria.
When the Royal Sisters betrayed Him they made a mistake.
In this mountain He was locked away,
His anger growing to this day.
Celestia beware,
Count Scorch will awake!

In the heart of the fire evil will burn her,
In the heart of the fire just after dusk!

Revenge will be sweet,
When His curse is complete!

In the heart of the fire,

She’ll be gone!

We can feel that He will soon awaken,
All He needs is Alicorn power to be free!
As the pieces fall into place,
He’ll see her burn in the blaze,
Then so long, Celestia, your grace,
Farewell!

In the heart of the fire the inferno will smite her,
An inferno’s is the least He could do!
In the heart of the fire evil will brew!

Soon she will feel that her nightmares are real!
In the heart of the fire,
She’ll be through!

In the heart of the fire evil will burn her!
Burn her.
In the heart of the fire terror comes true!
Doom her.

Celestia, here’s a sign,
It’s the end of the line!

In the heart of the fire,
In the heart of the fire,
In the heart of the fire!

We, His minions,
Loyal to our master,
Let our evil shine!

Find her now,
Yes, burn Celestia!

In the heart of the fire,
In the heart of the fire,
In the heart of the fire,

She’ll be His!

“So this Count Scorch guy is your boss?” asked Twilight.

“I thought we made that clear. Didn’t we make that clear?” asked Inferna to Blaiz.

“I thought we did,” answered Blaiz.

“Anyway, yeah, he’s our boss. And if you ever want live to see your friends again, you will help us free him.”

“You’re crazy if you want me to help you! I won’t do it!” said Twilight.

Inferna smirked. “So you don’t want to live to see your friends again. I thought you were smarter than that, being Celestia’s star pupil and all. I was apparently wrong.”

“You can do whatever you want with me. I’ll never betray my friends.”
Inferna’s smirk got even more sinister. She’d figured out exactly what to do. “Very loyal, I see. I suppose we could make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Yes. How’s say you help us free Count Scorch, and in return we will spare your friends.”

“How do I know I can trust you’ll keep your word?”

“You can’t,” said a new voice. Twilight turned her head and saw the Unicorn that foalnapped Ember. On her back was the same saddlebag as before.

“Wild, sweetie, you’re here,” said Inferna with fake enthusiasm.

“Hey mom. As I was saying, there is no way you can trust any of our words, but either way, your friends are likely to die and you will free the Count.”

“Wildfire, what are you doing?” asked Blaiz.

“I got tired of waiting. We need Count Scorch free and I’m not going to wait any longer.” Wildfire walked over to Twilight and fired up her horn.

Wildfire took a flask out of her saddlebag, and took the magic suppressor of Twilight’s horn. She then placed the flask on the tip of her horn. “Feel free to use magic, princess.”

“With pleasure.” Twilight tried to use a teleportation spell, but it failed. “Wait, why isn’t my magic working?”

“Your magic is working, it’s just not able to escape this bottle.”

“What? How is that possible?” asked Twilight.

“This bottle was doused in Tempestic Acid, making the bottle magic-proof.” She took the flask off Twilight's horn and quickly sealed it with a cork. The she walked over to the statue. “Today will mark the end of of the beginning and Count Scorch will be free!”

She emptied the flask on the statues and for a few seconds nothing happened. Then a small crack appeared on one of the front hooves. The crack then began to grow and quickly traveled up the leg, down the other front leg, up the neck, down the back, down the tail, and down the back legs. Then a second past and the obsidian fell off the statue, leaving a roaring Dragon/Alicorn hybrid in its place.

The Hybrid had black fur mixed with purple scales, leathery, black Dragon wings, a black Draconic tail, a mane that was literally green flames, blood red eyes with slits for pupils, razor sharp, pearly white teeth, razor sharp claws on his front hooves, and purple smoke rising from the corners of his mouth.

“Celestia!” roared the now free Count Scorch.

To be continued...

Author's Note

Oh man, Scorch is awake! This is bad! What plans does Scorch have in store for getting revenge on Celestia? More importantly, what's Celestia's history with Scorch even about? How will Twilight and Ember escape Scorch and his minions? What information could Celestia have about Scorch? These questions and more answered next time on "My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria".

Also, I'd just like to say that as of today it has been 6 months since I started my Fimfiction account.

Fanning the Flames

Previously on “My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria”:

Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember have both been kidnapped by Count Scorch. When Starlight and spike find that Twilight has been kidnapped, they assemble the other members of the Main 6, but not before Starlight has a run in with Hephaestus Vulcan, Spike’s possible father. Now, Count Scorch is awakened and is seeking revenge from Celestia herself.

Count Scorch’s follower knelt before their now awakened master. Count Scorch himself still stood on the pedestal that his statue once stood. “How long has it been?” the Count asked in a deep, raspy voice.

“It has been a thousand years since you’ve were imprisoned, Master,” said Inferna.

“Only a thousand? It felt longer,” said Scorch, anger evident in his voice. Then Scorch noticed Twilight still chained to the rock. He got off the pedestal and approached her. “And who might you be?” he asked.

“My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. I am the Princess of Friendship and former star student of Princess Celestia,” Twilight introduced herself, without trying to hide the hatred in her voice.

“Princess of Friendship? Ha! What a joke,” said Scorch savagely, “Wait, did you say ‘Princess Celestia’?”

“Y-yes,” Twilight confirmed cautiously.

“Perhaps there’s some use to you, other than leverage of course. How much did Celestia teach you?”

“She taught me everything I know, and there’s more that I learned without her help.”

“Perfect,” Scorch said breathily, blowing purple smoke into Twilight’s face as he did.

Twilight coughed. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to smoke?”

“It’s not me you should be worried about, Princess,” Scorch rebutted, blowing even more smoke at Twilight, “Soon enough, you will be eager to join my cause, and there’ll be nothing you will be about to do to stop me.”

The smoke caused Twilight to cough even more. She had to think of a way to escape. “Escape is futile, embrace the fire,” Twilight thought. At that, she realized what the smoke was doing. It was corrupting her thoughts, turning her own mind against itself. In fact, she didn’t think this was really smoke.

As if reading her thoughts, Scorch said while blowing more smoke, “This smoke is comprised of concentrated evil and it will corrupt your mind until you are loyal to me and only me.” Scorched laughed maniacally, and all Twilight could do was defend herself against her own mind with her slowly weakening willpower and wonder where her friends were now.

Twilight’s friends were currently in the throneroom of the Canterlot Castle. Celestia sat upon her throne and Luna stood beside her. Cadence and Shining Armor were over by one of the windows closest to the throne, with a sleeping Flurry Heart in Cadence’s hooves.

“So, as I understand it, Twilight has been foalnapped by Count Scorch, yes?” Celestia asked.

“That would be correct, you majesty,” said Spike, “And if you don’t mind by us asking, who is this Count Scorch guy?”

Celestia hesitated for a few seconds before saying to a nearby guard, “Lieutenant Dodger, could we please speak alone?”

“Of course, your majesty,” said the guard before leaving the room.

Once the guard left, Celestia began explaining, “Scorch is an old enemy of mine, and also an old friend.”

“He was a friend of your’s?” asked Starlight, surprised.

“Yes, for you see, Scorch wasn’t always evil, neither was he always a Count. About a thousand years ago, I knew Scorch as a Unicorn by the name of Aethon Lampos. He was the best royal guard of the time, granted that isn’t saying much. Anyway, Aethon and I became close friends and allies. In our countless struggles to protect Equestria, we were always fighting together. Eventually, our friendship bloomed into something more romantic, and we married each other. Soon after that, Scorch ascended to Alicornhood by defeating a creature of ice and snow. Then,after about a year of Aethon being my husband, he became corrupted, though I’ve never been able to figure out why or how. It wasn’t long before he changed completely. His once optimistic personality became angry and just pure evil, and his appearance changed so he was half Dragon. Then came the flames. He almost burned down half of Equestria for no reason other than he liked the flames. Almost. But I was able to stop him, as much as it pained to do so. Of course I knew he wouldn’t stay down long, so I imprisoned him inside an active volcano. Third hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, right behind imprison Luna in the moon and choose between vanilla cake and chocolate cake.”

“Don’t you think that was a bit extreme?” asked Spike.

“I agree, it is difficult to choose between vanilla and chocolate, but…”

“That’s not what I meant. I was talking about the active volcano thing.”

“Oh, right. Well, yes, it does seem a bit extreme, but by becoming half-dragon, he became fire-proof.”

“So, if he is awake,” said Rainbow, “Where would we find Scorch now?”

“Uh duh, the volcano,” answered Pinkie.

“Pinkie’s right. The most logical place fer the Count ta be is the volcano,” said Applejack.

“Hmhmhm. Do you realize what you’re saying exactly?” asked Heph.

“What do you mean?” asked Starlight back.

“Are you seriously considering just waltzing up to a fiery tyrant who’s committed murder, arson, and Celestia knows what else, and is plotting his revenge from an active volcano? Not a good plan.”

“I agree with Hephaestus,” said Rarity, “It sounds like a suicide mission.”

“I third that,” said Celestia, “While the most logical place is Mt. Furnace, it is extremely dangerous. The caves and tunnels of the mountain are like a labyrinth and even I wouldn’t know of any traps that Scorch may have set up.”

They all considered this for a moment.

“So what are we to do?” asked Spike.

“I have no idea. For now, let’s just hope Twilight is alright,” said Celestia.

Twilight was not alright. With half of her own mind telling her to betray her friends, she was definitely having a really bad day. Though it could be worse, at least Ember was awake by now. She was still gagged, granted, but at least she was awake.

Scorch was still next to Twilight, blowing another cloud of smoke with every breath. He was enjoying this. It’s not every day, or ever century really, that he gets to watch somepony’s willpower slowly wither away.

“I’m bored. Can’t we speed this up?” asked Wildfire.

“Patience. She will be mine soon,” said Scorch.

“Couldn't you at least double time it, or make it a bit more entertaining?”

“I said, “Patience”.”

“Okay, fine. Hey does anypony smell something burning?”

Everypony else, including Scorch, just looked a Wildfire and gave ‘Are you kidding me?’ faces.

“What, I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Sheesh, you all need to loosen up.” She looked towards Ember, who was mumbling something incoherently through the gag. “Yeah, I agree. You know, you get me,” Wildfire said.

Ember mumbled some more, again incoherent because of the gag, but it’s safe to say that she wasn’t agreeing with the Unicorn.

“That’s enough of your antics, filly,” said Count Scorch before turning back to Twilight, “Come on, Princess.” Tons of purple smoke then started pouring out of his mouth.

(To the tune of “Unleash the Magic” from “Friendship Games”, obviously)
Sung by Count Scorch, Twilight, Inferna, Blaiz, Wildfire, and Twilight’s Corrupt Mind

We realize that you will not join us willingly,
It’s sad to say but you don't have a choose,
To find somepony just like you,
It’s impossible to do,
You will help us spread our flames.

Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh-oh,
Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh,

Now I understand you have your reservations,
Your friends mean more to you than life itself,
But if we don’t spread our flames,
Well I think I’ve made it plain,
What will happen if Equestria does not burn!

Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh-oh,
Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh,

Embrace the fire,
Embrace the fire,
If it burns, then just embrace flame.
Just light the fuses,
There’s nothing to it,
Just join us and don the flames.

Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh-oh,
Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh,

You’re an inferno filled with magic,
Not to embrace it would be tragic,
More important is the knowledge you’ll have lost,
A chance like this won’t come again,
You’ll regret not giving in,
Isn’t ruling Equestria worth the cost?

Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh-oh,
Oh-oh, wuh-oh-wuh,

Embrace the fire,
Embrace the fire,
We’re not friends here after all,
Our only interest in this business,
Is seeing Equestria burn to ash.

What we're suggesting very simple,
And since it’s win-win on all scores,
Let everypony see the fire that you have stored,
And as for me and all the others,
We only want what we deserve,
That Count Scorch will clinch the win,
And Celestia will burn!

Unleash the fire,
Unleash the fire,
If you don’t, then it’s a crime,
But you can do it,
There’s nothing to it,
It’s up to you to set the flames free,
Embrace the fire, free the fire now,
Embrace the fire, free the fire now.

Twilight could feel the chains getting hot, but surprisingly, however hot the chain were becoming, they did not burn. That’s when Twilight uncorrupted mind realized her corrupted mind was winning.

Imagine all you’ll learn by embracing the heat,
No!
And now freeing the flames depends on me,
No!
And what doors might open it try to do it,
No!
And now all that you are is me!

Embrace the fire, free the fire,
Now!

Twilight’s chains burst apart as flames enveloped her entire body. When the flames subsided, Twilight’s fur was white, her mane and tail were yellow with orange highlight streaks, and her eyes were blood red. “I am ready to serve you, Master,” she said, bowing before Scorch.

“Good,” Scorch said, his voice filled will evil. The same evil that now infested Twilight’s mind. “But I believe that we could make great equals to each other, Twilight.”

“I agree. But please don’t call me Twilight.”

“What would you want me to call you?”

“Twilight Sparkle is gone now, call me Evening Flare.”

As the smoke surrounding Twilight dissipated, all Ember could do at the sight of Evening Flare was shed a single tear. It evaporated before it even left her face.

To be continued...

Author's Note

Well, things certainly escalated quickly. How are Twilight's friends going to save her this time? What does Scorch have planned for her? What does he have planned for Celestia? Find out next time on "My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria".

Yes, I realize this chapter is a bit rushed , and maybe the dialogue is a bit forced, but I needed to move this story along. So this is it.

Catching Fire

Previously on “My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria”...

Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember have been kidnapped by the sinister Count Scorch, who was a Unicorn known as Aethon Lampos and was Princess Celestia’s husband, until he mysteriously turned evil and Celestia was forced to imprison him in Mt. Furnace. Now, he has awakened and has brainwashed into Twilight turning against Equestria and her friends. Meanwhile in Canterlot, Twilight’s friends are with Princess Celestia and are trying to figure out how to save Twilight and Ember.

Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, and Heph were all waiting in one of the hallways of the Canterlot Castle. Waiting for what exactly? For Starlight to finish up analyzing Spike and Heph’s DNA to see if they were related. Needless to say, it was pretty boring. So, Heph decided try to teach Spike some Dragon magic to pass the time.

“Remember, Spike, an open claw allows you to let your magic flow freely, while a closed fist builds up that magic,” said Heph, demonstrating the lesson by manipulating the fire of a candle.

Spike tried to replicate it, but as anypony could guess, nothing happened. Despite his attempts to do this basic pyromancy, nothing happened. “Ugh, this is impossible!” he said frustratedly.

“Well I’m not surprised. It took me three months to master basic pyromancy, but in my defence my father wasn’t very good at teaching. I wouldn’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Thanks, but I not worried about this. I’m worried about Twilight,” said Spike, “She’s like a sister to me. Though since she hatched me from my egg, I guess she could be like my mother? Whatever. I’m confusing myself. I’m just really worried about her and Ember.”

“Hmm, that’s it! I know how to get your magic to work. Just take that worry and direct it your magic.”

“Well how am I supposed to do that?” Spike asked.

“It’s all about visualization. Visualize your worry flowing out you like a stream. Then direct that worry so that it manipulates the candle’s flame.”

“I’ll try that.” Spike closed his eyes and visualized his worry making the flame bigger. There was sudden ‘floom’ sound and a slight flash of light. When Spike opened his eyes he saw the flame was twice its original size and the purple scales on Heph’s face were scorched black. Being a Dragon, of course he wasn’t harmed. Dragons are fire-proof. Everypony couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hilarious,” Heph said sarcastically, with an ‘are-you-kidding-me’ face. He then coughed out a bit of smoke, which made Spike laugh even more.

A couple more minutes passed and Starlight finally came out of the room she had been analyzing Spike and Heph’s DNA in.

“Mr. Vulcan,” she said happily, “The test confirmed it. Spike is your son.”

Heph’s eyes lit up and he shouted, “Yes! Finally! After all these years of searching, I’ve finally found my son!” He then quieted down when he saw Fluttershy hide behind a pillar. “Oh, um, sorry. I didn’t mean to be that loud.”

“It’s alright,” Fluttershy said, quiet as usual.

Spike was, for some reason, silent. The reason, in fact, was that he was too happy to say anything (like Rainbow when Spitfire told her she was now a Wonderbolt).

“Mazel Tov!” said Pinkie, “You know what this calls for?”

“Let us guess. A party?” asked Rarity.

“A party!” Pinkie confirmed. She then pulled her Party-cannon out of nowhere and fired it. Colorful confetti filled the air.

“Hold on, Pinkie. Ah don’t think we should be partyin’ at a time like this. Twi’s still missin’, ya know,” said Applejack.

“Ahh, way to poop the party, party pooper.”

“Applejack’s right,” agreed Rainbow, “Twilight is still Scorch’s prisoner and we have no idea how we are going save her.”

“Perhaps I may be of some assistance,” said the guard from earlier as she came around the corner.

“Mwahahahahahahahahaha! Yes! This is turning out even better than I anticipated. Soon Equestria will be within my grasp, and Celestia will pay for betraying me!” shouted Count Scorch.

“I agree,” said Twil…I mean, Evening Flare, “Celestia mislead me. She tricked me into making friends, made me believe that all the problems in the world could be solved by working together, but I realize now that all that hogwash about friendship is complete rubbish. Thank you for showing me the light, Count.”

“You are welcome. Now, how do you suggest we start our conquest?”

“I suggest we start by rallying your troops.”

“Already done,” said Blaiz.

“Then where are they?”

“You’re looking at them, Princess,” said Wildfire, “And may I be the first to say that they’re really pathetic.”

“Hey!” protested Inferna.

“Well it’s true, Mom.”

“So how do you suggest we fix that?” asked Scorch.

“I’m always thinking ahead, that’s why I, with the help of a kindred spirit, foalnapped, or rather dragonnapped, Dragonlady Ember. Dragons are unintelligent, but they make great soldiers. With their leader out of the way, you’ll be able to easily convince them to join us. You won’t even need to use your Scorch Smog.”

“I like that plan. Who is this kindred spirit you speak of?”

“Garble is one of the more intelligent Dragons, who also seems to have a grudge on the Ponies. He’s already an ally of ours.”

Scorch walked over to Wildfire. “And that’s why you are my favorite,” he said, “Come, Wildfire. We are heading off to the Dragonlands!”
“As you wish, master.” The two of them headed for the tunnel.

Back with the rest of Mane 6…

"Were you eavesdropping on us?" asked Rainbow.

"Technically yes, but I prefer the term 'overheard'," said the guard.

“So who are ya?” asked Applejack.

“The name’s Lieutenant Rosanna Dodger, though you can just call me Rose,” she said.
Rose was a Pegasus with snow white fur, an equally white mane and tail, eyes as red as, well, roses, and freckles on her cheeks. Parts of her mane stuck out from under her helmet, and her tail was surprisingly short for a mare.

“So what exactly can you do to help?” asked Spike.

“I know a guy. He runs a little cafe that I often visit, and he might know somepony who can help.”

To be continued...

Author's Note

How does Scorch plan to convince the Dragons into joining him? Who is this person Rose knows who might be able to help? These questions and more next time on "My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria".

I'll admit, this is my least favorite chapter so far, but don't worry, readers, the next chapter will be better. Maybe.

Keep Calm and Flame On!

Previously on "My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria":

Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember have been kidnapped by the sinister Count Scorch, who was a Unicorn known as Aethon Lampos and was Princess Celestia’s husband, until he mysteriously turned evil and Celestia was forced to imprison him in Mt. Furnace. Now, he has awakened and has brainwashed into Twilight turning against Equestria and her friends. Wild fire and Garble are going along with Scorch to recruit Dragons for Scorch’s army. Meanwhile in Canterlot, Twilight’s friends are with Princess Celestia and are trying to figure out how to save Twilight and Ember. As it turns out, Lieutenant of the Royal Guard Rosanna Dodger, or Rose, might know someone who can help.

The bell over the door jingled as Lieutenant Dodger entered a cafe.

“Hmm? Ah, welcome back to the Orange Crest Cafe, Rose,” said the stallion standing behind the counter. Said stallion was a blueish-gray Unicorn with a red mane and tail, blue eyes, and a coffee cup for a cutie mark.

“Let’s skip the formalities, Dug, I’m here on business,” said Rose.

“Alright, what is this about? Am I under arrest or something?”

“No. This is a matter of national security.” Rose took a seat in one of the chairs by the counter.

“National security? What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say that the situation calls for an expert, and I need to ask a favor from you.”

“So, what? I’m some sorta expert on the situation at hand?”

“No. Not even close. But you do have connections, and that’s what I came to you for.”

“Of course. If there’s one pony who knows anypony, it’s a bartender, or in my case, a barista.”

“Exactly.”

“So what is this situation?” Dug asked.

Rose leaned in, signalling Dug to do the same. “What I’m about to say could cause ponies to freak out. Promise that you won’t freak out. And promise that you won’t tell anypony.”

“I promise I won’t freak out or tell anypony.”

“Alright.” Rose leaned in closer, so she could whisper it in his ear. “Princess Twilight has been foalnapped,” she whispered.

“What!” Dug shouted in surprise, causing a few of the cafe’s patrons to look towards the two.

“Hey, keep it down. You promised you wouldn’t freak out.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t know what you were going to say. How was I supposed to not freak out?”

“Fair point.” Rose gave him a minute to calm down. “Anyway, do you know somepony who can help?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve never met anypony with this kind of situation or skill. I’m sorry.”

“Just great. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem. So what’ll it be?” Dug asked, gesturing to the menu.

“The usual,” answered Rose.

“Coming right up.”

Count Scorch, Wildfire, and Garble stood atop a cliff overlooking a valley filled with Dragons.

“So, what are we going to do?” Garble asked the Count.

“What do you think? We are recruiting your fellow Dragons,” answered Wildfire, “Shouldn’t be too hard, Dragons are of feeble minds.”

“True, but even still, it will take convincing.”

“It’ll be worth it, for both of us,” said Scorch, “Once Equestria is mine, you can become the Dragonlord. The Dragonlands will be yours to do with as you please.”

“And our enemies?” asked Garble.

“They will burn at my claws, if they do not die any other way first. Come, we have much to do.”

The three descended the cliff into the valley below.

Steam rose from the ground, signifying that the valley was volcanic. But that did not bother the Dragons of the valley as Dragons are known for being fire-proof. The Dragons themselves were all either competing in contests of masculinity or napping. How the napping Dragons slept despite the sound numerous fire-belches eludes me.

Then one Dragon spotted Garble, Wildfire, and Scorch as they approached. “Hey, who goes there?” it asked.

“I am Count Scorch, terror of Equestria and the King of Flames,” he introduced himself with a slight bow.

“Yeah! And I’m the queen of the Breezies,” said another Dragon sarcastically.

Scorch shook his head at the sighed. “I never actually thought Dragons essential. They’re brutes and unspeakable plain. But perhaps they have a glimmer of potential, when combined with my power and flame.” Purple smoke started pouring out of Scorch’s mouth.

(To the tune of “Be Prepare” from “The Lion King”)
Sung by Count Scorch, Wildfire, Garble, all of the above, and Other Dragons

I know that you savage reptilians,
Are as bright as a broken lamp at night,
But thick as you are, pay attention!
My words are a matter of blight.
It’s clear to me that your intentions,
Are pure but not all still there,
But were talking royals and successions!
Even you can’t be caught unaware!
So prepare for the chance of a lifetime,
Be prepared for sensational news.
A shining new era is tip clawing nearer.
And where do we feature?
Just listen to teacher.
We know it sounds sordid,
But you’ll be rewarded,
When at last Scorch is given his dues!
And revenge deliciously squared,
Be prepared!
Yeah, be prepare! We’ll be prepared! ...For what?
For the death of Celestia!
Why, is she sick?
No fool we’re gonna kill her, and Luna too.
Great idea! How need a princess? Marxism, Anarchy! Lalalalalala!
Idiots! There will be a royal!
Hey, but you said, uh…
Scorch will be king!
Stick with him and you’ll never go hungry again!
Yay, alright! Long live the king! Long live the king!
It’s great that we’ll soon be connected,
With a king who’ll be all-time adored.
Of course quid pro quo you’re expected,
To take certain duties onboard.
The future is littered with prizes,
And though Scorch is the main addressee,
The point that we must emphasize is,
You won’t get a sniff without me!

There was a rumble under the Dragons’ claws and the valley started to erupt. Burst of lava were everywhere and the steam was mixing with Scorch’s smoke.

So prepare for the cou of the century,
Be prepared for the murkiest scam.
Meticulous planning,
Tenacity spanning,
Centuries of exile,
Is simply why I’ll,
Be king undisputed,
Respected,
Saluted,
And seen for the wonder I am.
Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared,
Be prepared!
Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared,
Be prepared!

Scorch’s smoke dissipated. By now, all the Dragons that weren’t swayed by the song had been unknowingly mind-controlled to obey Scorch.

“Perfect. Simply perfect,” said Scorch.

“That was too easy,” said Wildfire, “I knew Dragons were weak-minded, but I didn’t know they were that weak-minded.”

“Does it matter?” asked Garble, “Scorch has his army, the ponies will pay, and I will become Dragonlord. Everyone wins.”

“Now, we must head back to Mount Furnace to prepare. We attack Equestria tomorrow.”

“Yes sir.”

“Look out, Celestia. I’m coming for you.”

Rose entered the throne room, where Twilight’s friends were waiting.

“I have good news and bad news,” she said, “the bad news is my friend doesn’t know anypony who might be able to help.”

“Well that’s just great,” Rainbow said.

“What’s the good news?” asked Starlight.

“The good news is I have a backup plan.”

“Ooh, I’d like to hear this,’ said Heph.

“Quiet, Heph. Now, I didn’t want to bring this up unless as a last resort, but seeing as I’ve exhausted my only other option, I think a last resort is what we need. You see...” Rose began, but wasn’t able to finish.

“You’re part of a small team of ponies with exceptional skills. Being a division of a covert organization you are only to be called into action on three occasions. The first being when a danger isn’t enough to warrent Elemental Intervention, as you call it. The second being in case we are unable to handle a threat and need reinforcements. The third being we are already busy dealing with a threat and can’t risk splitting our attention away,” explained Pinkie, with a squee at the end.
Rose’s jaw dropped.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not it,” said Rainbow Dash.

“No, that’s about right. Wait, how did you know all that?”

“Just a hunch,” Pinkie answered with a shrug.

“Let me git this straight. Yer ah secret agent?” asked Applejack.

“Special agent, actually.”

“You’re part of a team of agents?” asked Rarity.

“Yep, we’re B Cause, a division of D.O.M.E., which stand for Defence Organization of Metropolitan Equestria.”

“Never heard of it,” said Rainbow.

“That’s because we do our job well. Now, I just need to talk to Director Rage and get authorization to utilize the team. Once I have authorization, we can begin to save Princess Twilight.”

To be continued...

Author's Note

Things are finally starting to get interesting I can't wait to see what happens next. Wait, I just remembered, I'm writing the story. Say tuned.

So, did anyone catch the reference I made. It was for my friend Doug_. I have to say, this is my favorite chapter so far. And the story will keep getting better from here.

Burning Up

Previously on “My Little Pony: Elements of Equestria”:

Princess Twilight and Dragonlady Ember have been kidnapped by the sinister Count Scorch, who was a Unicorn known as Aethon Lampos and was Princess Celestia’s husband, until he mysteriously turned evil and Celestia was forced to imprison him in Mt. Furnace. Now, he has awakened and has brainwashed into Twilight turning against Equestria and her friends. And Scorch has recruited Dragons for his army. He is now preparing to attack Equestria. Meanwhile in Canterlot, Twilight’s friends are with Princess Celestia and are trying to figure out how to rescue Twilight and Ember. As it turns out, Rose is part of a team that could help save Twilight.

“So the forces are prepared?” asked a mare, her identity concealed under a black hooded cloak.

“Yes, mistress,” answered a stallion.

“Good. Once the siege begins, Equestria will fall, and you will have fulfilled your purpose.”

“I still wonder, mistress, why are you so dead-set on Equestria?”

“Do you not remember who you signed a contract with to get you your powers?”

“Your father.”

“Yes, and do you know who vanquished him?”

“Starswirl.”

“Yes. And who was Starswirl in cohorts with when my father was vanquished?”

“Celestia.”

“Yes. I am just finishing what my father started. Now, what are you to do?”

“Continue with the advance.”

“Correct, Scorch.”

The next day, in Canterlot…

It had gotten hotter since Scorch escaped, but it seemed to only become noticeable now.

As an effect, the Royal Guards were sweating like pigs in their armor, and the ponies that weren’t wearing armor weren’t doing much better, the Mane 5 and Starlight included. Though Spike and Heph seemed unfazed by the gradually increasing heat, of course since they’re Dragons it kind of makes sense.

They were all by a pond outside the castle. Heph had taken this opportunity to try and teach Spike how to manipulate water.

“Remember what I said about the flame. Open claw means free flowing magic, closed claw equals means magical buildup.”

“And I have to visualize an emotion flowing out of me and directing the subject to do as I want it to.”

“Exactly.”

Spike closed his eyes and visualized his worry lifting a ball of water. There was a sound of rushing water and ponies screaming in surprise. Spike opened his eyes to see the Mane 5 and Starlight drenched in water. Heph couldn’t help laughing.

“Hilarious,” said Rainbow Dash sarcastically.

“It kind of is,” Heph said between laughs.

“Great, now my mane is all wet,” complained Rarity.

“Oh, calm down, Rarity. It’s just water. Yer mane’ll dry,” said Applejack.

“Is it just me, or does Applejack look better with a wet mane,” said Rainbow.

“Well that was a weird thing to say,” said Pinkie.

Everypony gave Pinkie an ‘are-you-kidding-me’ face.

“What? What did I a say?”

“Anyway,” said Applejack, trying to change the subject, “Ah hope Twi’s alright.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” said Pinkie, “I mean unless Count Scorch has some sort of mind control smoke that even Twilight can’t resist.”

“I don’t think that’s possible, Pinkie,” said Fluttershy.

“Oh yeah? I’ll bet you five bits that it is.”

“I’ll take that action.”

After a few more minutes of waiting, Rose came up to them. “Girls, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news being I have authorization to mobilize B Cause. The bad news being Scorch’s army attacked Appleoosa, and Scorch himself was nowhere to be seen.”

“Is my cousin Braeburn alright?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah, he’s fine. He’s actually the one who gave us the news of the attack.”

“You know what this means, right?” asked Heph.

“No, what does it mean?” asked Rarity back.

“It means Scorch is moving north, and his assault has begun.”

“So what are you suggesting?” asked Rose.

“We set up a defensive line at the closest available choke point to the enemy line. Where would that be?”

“Dodge Junction. That’s the closest town to Appleoosa. It doesn’t have great defences, but it should be enough to slow them down. Wait, how do you know so much about military tactics?”

“I was Dragonlord Torch’s royal advisor. Well, up until I retired.”

“Okay then. Let’s get to it. I’ll get the Royal Guard to go to Dodge Junction. You all just go back to Ponyville and wait. If and/or when we need you, you will be close enough to the frontlines.”

Rose ran off to the castle while Twilight’s friends went to the train station.

To be continued...

Author's Note

Oh boy, things are gonna get hot (pun intended)! Next time, the battle of Dodge Junction begins. Stay tuned.

I'll admit now that the only part of this chapter that I liked is the first segment.