Sparkle's Fire

Silence and static filled Rainbow's helmet. Heartbroken, she assumed that the connection was lost. She felt done for as she pulled herself to her hooves, but hope fluttered in her heart again as the blue of the suit began to glow. She almost teared up. Her pleas had worked; Pinkie had heard her!

Rainbow flapped her wings and flew back onto the roof, letting the light blind the ponies still around. Moon Dancer shielded her face from the blinding light as Rainbow's mech began to change. The armor grew tighter and thicker around her body, and another pair of wings made of ice sprouted on her back. From the back panel, a solid metal rod began to emerge. Rainbow grabbed it in her hooves, forcefully freeing it from its containment. She twisted the handle, and ice sprouted in a sharp blade around the rod, making it appear like a long spear. Icy tendrils sprouted from the top of the handle around the new blade, flapping proudly in the wind.

Rainbow landed on the roof as her armor grew its final layer of protection, the faint sheen of ice obvious against the blazing sun. She gripped onto her ice spear tightly, holding it against the ground proudly. She looked at Moon Dancer with a determined grin as the machine finished changing around her, its only last addition being a few protective spikes around her helmet. She wasted no time when the suit was finished, sailing towards Moon Dancer to engage in battle once again. Moon Dancer seemed prepared, as once more she used her flames to shoot herself into the air out of Rainbow's way. She spun in the air, flames attaching to her hooves. Moon Dancer threw her hooves down, the flames snapping in the air like whips.

The flames wrapped around Rainbow's back legs, and yanked her backwards. She didn't seem worried. She spun around, slicing the flames with her spear and watching ice coat them entirely. She was unlucky though; while the flames around her legs broke, Moon Dancer snapped the ice from the fire around her hooves and freed herself from the temporary containment. She landed finally on the ground, letting herself down gently with her flames. She lowered her head, her horn glowing as she shot beams of fire from it towards Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was unfazed; each beam that passed her, she would hit with her spear, and freeze them. Blocks of ice fell around her as she marched towards Moon Dancer. The blocks shattered on the concrete, and began to melt in the sun when the flames inside broke.

Moon Dancer channeled all her energy into her horn, flames wrapping around the white crystal on her head. She shouted as she snapped her head downward, and fired the flames towards Rainbow Dash. As they approached the pegasus, they came closer together and formed the shape of what appeared to be a dragon. The flame-born creature shrieked, its mouth opening and firing flames from its maw. Rainbow braced herself against the flames, feeling them dig through the ice that made a thin veil of protection around her armor. She flapped her wings and flew into the fire, lifting her spear and stabbing the fire dragon at its most solid point. Ice encased the entire creature and froze it in place. Rainbow pulled the spear free and let the beast split in half, shattering on the ground around her.

Moon Dancer's fear was obvious through her visor as the ice from the dragon spread to her, enclosing her entire body. Rainbow watched as the mare's armor shattered, revealing the light yellow mare underneath. Her body was shaking with fear, and the pearl hairtie that held up her hair had fallen into pieces when her armor shattered. Her mane fell around her, and she shook her head, backing away from Rainbow as she approached. Rainbow pulled her pistol from her armor again, and aimed at the mare.

"No-!" Moon Dancer yelled, frightened more than even lavender eyes could showcase. "Don't you dare!"

Despite Moon Dancer screaming at her, Rainbow had to do her job. She fired ice from her pistol, watching as it wrapped around the mare's hooves, neck, and horn, and made her collapse on her side. The mare yelled out and thrashed against the ice, trying desperately to escape from this prison. Rainbow would've felt bad for her, but she knew that this had to happen one way or another. She stepped away from the mare she had just captured, and looked up at the pony still sitting comfortably in their throne.

"Are you just going to sit there?!" Rainbow yelled up at them. "I've caught every last one of your allies, and you're all that's left! You could've left while we were fighting, but you just watched! You're a sick coward, stupid firebug!"

The pony hummed, boredom obvious in their tone. They lifted themself to their hooves, rolling their neck and letting it pop as they walked to the edge. They stepped on air, flames taking form at their hooves and solidifying into crystals. Rainbow stepped back as they descended, a slope of fire crystals making the path for this pony to walk down to her level. Rainbow lifted her spear and her gun, pulling herself onto her hindlegs to aim her weaponry at the pony in question. The pony didn't seem worried at all about this threat. They spread their wings, horn glistening as one crystal of their slope bent backwards, curling over their shoulder. They lifted their hooves, wrapping them around the sharp edge and ripping it free from the structure they had walked down. Flames circled around the object as they took it in their magic, allowing it to rapidly spin in the air before they brandished their weapon; a sword made of crystal.

Rainbow took this as an opportunity to at least make this fight fair. She opened the panel beneath her, sliding her pistol back in its slot on her waist. Her hoof tightly gripped her spear, and she lowered it to point at the pony. The pony had an energy about them that sent chills down Rainbow's spine. The way they moved as they approached her made her shake, but she wasn't sure that it was out of fear. Really, she wasn't sure what it was, but whatever it was didn't sit right with her. She decided to approach as well, striking up conversation in the mean time.

"So," She began. "You're Sparkle's Fire's leader."

"Only recently I rose to this role," The pony said blankly. "I haven't always been in this position."

"So it was you that orchestrated this attack, eh?" Rainbow hummed as she lowered her head. "How brave."

"Maybe I did," The pony said, voice frighteningly gentle behind the visor. "But we had good reason."

"Good reason?" Anger flared up in Rainbow's chest. "What good reason could you have for endangering the lives of ponies, attacking their homes and works? How many ponies have you killed because of your attacks?!"

"None," The pony said as they lifted their sword, the blade colliding with the handle of Rainbow's spear. "My friends and I do not kill without reason. It is a strict code of conduct we hold to the highest extent. Not that you would understand, you think all Burnish are pests."

"You are!" Rainbow confirmed the pony's idea as she stepped back, ears pressing down in her suit. "All you do is destroy! What reason could you possible have for that?!"

"The flames are the reason," The pony said, lifting a hoof. A flame burst to life at the center, licking hungrily at the air. "It is the flames that make us burn. If we could choose not to, we wouldn't burn your creations, but it's the only way to keep them tame. To control these flames, something needs to be destroyed before they destroy us. This is how the Burnish live; it has always been this way."

"But why?" Rainbow didn't understand a thing this pony was saying. They must be crazy if they think she believes any of this horseshit. "Why couldn't you just control your urge to burn? Face it, you're only doing it to have fun!"

"No," The pony hissed as Rainbow launched herself at them again. They lifted their hooves, expelling a much stronger flame than the ponies before could ever manage. Rainbow yelled as the flames pushed her back. The heat was incredible against her face, easy for her to feel due to the cracks in her visor exposing her to the open air. She rolled on the ground, but used her wings to stop herself from going over the edge. She lifted herself back to her hooves and glared at the pony.

"Regardless of what your purpose is," Rainbow said, panting from the heat. "I'm not going to stand for it. You are going to be arrested, as are your buddies, and we won't have to deal with another attack of yours again!"

"You're awfully confident," The pony laughed and flapped their wings. "Well, if you're so certain of yourself, why haven't you landed a single attack-" The ice on one of Rainbow's shoulder blades cracked and shattered, making her gasp in surprise. "-but I've been able to hit you with ease?"

Rainbow growled. The time for talk was over by now. She flung herself into the air, wings spread wide. She forced them to her sides and dived for the pony with her spear extended forward. The pony faced her head on, lifting her katana and flinching as the hard crystals collided with the metal handle. Rainbow flapped her wings to keep herself in position so she could kick underneath the weaponry, hitting the pony in the chest and forcing them backwards. She didn't give them a moment to recover before she lunged again, managing to score a hit against the pony's armor. It cracked underneath the ice on the spot, but unlike the other ponies, the ice didn't spread. The pony ignored the cracks in their armor happily.

The pony lifted their hooves to bring the still burning flames from the floor underneath the concrete they stood on upwards. It burst through the concrete holes that had been left from the earlier attacks, and took snake-like forms that lunged at Rainbow with fangs bared. She dodged to the side of a few, but one scored her good on her side. Her suit cracked on that side, and several pieces fell off onto the concrete and exposed the skin and coat underneath. Rainbow would take great care with her new blindside. She breathed in as she raced across the ground for the pony once again. The pony was growing bored of her repeating tactics, easily able to dodge out of the way each time Rainbow came for and slashed at them with her spear.

"Is that all you know how to do?" The pony asked as they lifted their katana, flames bursting around it as they slammed the flat edge down on Rainbow's back. They leapt back as her armor cracked, the suit around her wings crumbled into ash.

Rainbow didn't respond, only taking note of just how damaged her suit was. Even this fancy new armor wouldn't be enough to stop this pony, and that scared her only a little. She refused to let her fear show, and ignored the heat beating down on her wings and back, making sweat roll through her coat. She decided to take the pony's advice, and use some new tactics. She lunged for the pony again, and when they dodged out of the way, she flapped her wings, rolling onto her side in the air and firing ice from her hooves. The ice forcefully pushed the pony back, and Rainbow was happy to hear them gasp in surprise, clearly not expecting this. The ice burst around the pony's helmet on one side. They hissed as they drove their hoof underneath the ice, and knocked their ruined piece of armor off their face. It hit the ground and shattered, and Rainbow could now see at least half of their face.

It was a mare underneath, only a little older than Rainbow herself. Her bright mulberry coat was a jarring contrast against the jet black that made up her armor. A sharp and flat sapphire blue mane draped around her body, bright purple, blonde, and raspberry stripes standing out incredibly bright as the light of the flames danced off of them. The pony glared at her, deep violet burning into Rainbow's soul as she stared.

"You're barely older than me," Rainbow said. "No wonder you said you only became leader recently. I only joined Burning Rescue recently!"

"I didn't ask," The mare said firmly, finally allowing her anger to be showcased. She stomped forth toward Rainbow Dash, using her magic and moving her head to slash at the pegasus's remaining armor. Rainbow did her best to counter, but every now and again as she backed away this mare scored a hit. One by one, her armor fell apart, the only remaining armor sticking to her hooves like glue. She fell back, head dangling over the edge of the building and letting her see the ground below. She lifted her head to stare at the mare as she pointed her sword at Rainbow's neck.

"I told you we don't kill," she said. "But we have exceptions. I'm sorry, but I can't let myself be captured. For the sake of my friends, this needs to end here. I can spare you if you let me go free, but Celestia help you if I'm caught."

"Is that a threat?" Rainbow laughed, her wings spreading on the ground around her. "It's a pretty weak one. I'm not scared of her."

"You would be if you knew what she was capable of," The pony said with a hum. "I suppose I know your answer then. Say your last words, or let me make this quick."

Rainbow said nothing as the pony lifted her sword. She waited, but not for long before she began to move the sword down. Quickly, Rainbow smacked the sword with her hoof, expelling ice from it and coating the entire thing. It shattered before the mare, and Rainbow took this moment of surprise to kick her in the stomach with all her might. The pony flew backwards, flipping in the air and spreading her wings to hold herself up. Suddenly, she was kicked to the ground. A crater was made around her as she impacted the concrete. Rainbow looked up to see a familiar face before her; Fluttershy had finally come to the battle. She couldn't hear what she said, but Fluttershy seemed to be talking through her own headset to the ponies still in the firetruck on the surface.

Rainbow could've finished this fight herself, but she had to admit that she appreciated Fluttershy's late help. The Burnish mare got back to her hooves and shook rubble from her body, glaring daggers at the pegasi around her. Fluttershy and Rainbow seemed to have the same idea, and at once they threw themselves at the mare. They rolled with her before they managed to pin her to the ground, expelling ice from their hooves and covering her body. They split the ice, and Fluttershy brandished her own gun to apply restraints to the mare. Her hooves, horn, and wings were coated in ice.

"I think you were the one getting overconfident," Rainbow said with a laugh as Fluttershy pulled the mare into a standing position. "It seems like you've lost this battle now!"

"I suppose," The pony said, allowing her voice to soften again. It seemed at the very end, she accepted her fate. She flicked her hair back with a quick shake of her head, and the cravat around her neck moved with the motion as well

"So, what do they call you?" Rainbow asked. "I already introduced myself, it's only fair that I know the fifth pony I was fighting too."

"Twilight Sparkle," The mare said simply. "Remember that name, Rainbow Dash."

"I plan to," Rainbow said as she came forth. Their foreheads rested together as they stared eachother in the eyes. Twilight's face was soft, but a raging flame burned in her pupils that showed she would never be done with this battle of theirs. Rainbow hoped that flame was reflected in her own eyes, but she knew her own confidence would overshadow any anger she had towards this pony. She had to admit, this mare put up a good fight, and that was all she looked for when they went on missions and encountered Burnish. Their rescues were only the most fun when she could get in a fight.

"Y-you really should've called for help earlier," Fluttershy said, smacking Rainbow on the back of the head and making her recoil away from the mare.

"Ow!!" Rainbow hissed, rubbing the back of her head and glaring at Fluttershy. "I didn't need help, I was doing just fine!"

"I-I know," Fluttershy said, waving her hoof and humming. "B-but your suit is entirely destroyed. Pinkie is going to h-have to make you a new one. R-really Dash, y-you need to learn to a-accept help from other ponies. W-what if she had killed you?"

"Oh please, she wouldn't have!" Rainbow groaned. "Stop treating me like a filly!"

"Whatever you s-say," Fluttershy sighed, bringing her hoof up to her ear. A small click emitted from her headset. "Pinkie, AJ, R-Rainbow and I are on the roof. We've caught t-the Sparkle's Fire ponies that started the f-fire."

Patience was a virtue then. Rainbow was bored now that all the fighting was over, and the other ponies had stopped trying to escape from their hoofcuffs. Applejack and Pinkie Pie soon came up to the roof to finalize this mission.

"The rest of the fires are down!" Pinkie said as she hopped off Applejack's shoulders. She adjusted her white coat and hummed happily. "Well done everypony! We rescued some ponies, we stopped some fires, and we've caught Sparkle's Fire's leader! What an exciting day!"

"Don't get too excited," Applejack said to the mare, pointing to the sky. The winds suddenly changed, and each pony around shielded their eyes from the strong winds. Descending from the sky were a small group of flying vehicles, their wheels rotated and spinning rapidly to fly them through the air. Once they hit the roof, their wheels shifted back into their usual position, and they appeared just like a group of monster trucks on the roof. From one of the vehicles, a large minotaur clad in black and blue armor emerged.

"Ponies, Freeze Force has arrived!" He yelled as he walked to the group, and pushed between them to stand with Twilight. "Iron Will will take care of the situation from here!"

"Great," Rainbow Dash mumbled, kicking a stone near her hooves. "Of course Freeze Force has to come in and ruin our celebration."

"What was that, pony?" Iron Will spun his head around to glare down at Rainbow Dash.

"You heard what I said," Rainbow hissed. She coughed as the minotaur grabbed a hold of her by the neck and lifted her into the air.

"Iron Will knows this rule better than you," He began, making sure she couldn't struggle out of his hold. "But you ponies are not authorized to work in situations like this! Iron Will has a motto, and that motto is 'When ponies push and shove, those attitudes you get rid of!' Burning Rescue does not deal with Sparkle's Fire, and Iron Will knows that for a fact! As such, in this situation, Iron Will will be arresting you now for interference!"

"Arrest?!" Rainbow struggled in the minotaur's grip, and flapped her wings. "You can't do that!"

"She's right!" Applejack yelled up at Iron Will. The minotaur lowered his head to glare down at the pony.

"What makes you say that?" He demanded, his expression hardening further.

"Sparkle's Fire showed up during our rescue," Applejack said. "Ah think it's in our code that we can deal with them if they're on our grounds. Freeze Force has no daggon reason to fault us because we were in our rights!"

Silence came across the ponies and the minotaur. He huffed, making Applejack flinch as the air hit her face. He dropped Rainbow, allowing her to gasp in air and rub at her neck where he had been holding her.

"Regardless, it is Iron Will's job to detain these ponies!" He shouted, flexing his muscles before he grabbed up two of the captured ponies, launching them into the back of the vehicle he had been situated in.

"My, my," Twilight hummed, unamused. "The leading forces are at odds. I feel as though I've seen a situation like this before. It seems like none of you ever learn your lesson."

"Quiet down!" Iron Will slammed his fist down atop the mare's head, making her yell out in pain. He grabbed her by the torso, throwing her into the vehicle. He grabbed the final two ponies and threw them in as well. It seemed like he didn't care if any of them got hurt. He slammed the door shut and climbed back into the driver's seat. Without another word, the vehicles drove off the building, wheels flipping back up to allow them to fly from the scene. Celestia knows where they were going.

"We should be gettin' back," Applejack said. "Our job is done here."

"W-we should take Rainbow Dash to see P-Princess Celestia as well," Fluttershy said, somewhat uncertainly. "S-shouldn't she be rewarded for catching s-so many Sparkle's Fire members, and their leader?"

"You should get credit too," Rainbow said with a cough. "You helped me catch that mare."

"I-in the end, yes," Fluttershy said, drawing circles on the ground with her hoof. "B-but I didn't help you fight. Y-you're a hero."

"I know that," Rainbow laughed. "You don't need to be modest, I think Celestia will give you an award too, Fluttershy!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie bounced with joy. "You guys are heroes and deserve to be treated like such! I'd say once we all are done celebrating, we should go down to the Tasty Treat to celebrate!"

"Sounds might fine to me!" Applejack said happily. She clapped her hooves, and allowed Pinkie Pie to climb onto her back once again. "C'mon everypony, let's git goin!"

No pony objected as they descended off the building into the crowd of ponies below. Rainbow basked in the cheering from the crowd. She knew that could only get and feel better over time. She could just imagine the cheers as she would walk through town, bearing a medal given to her by the Princess herself... She couldn't bear to wait any longer. Her excitement was definitely at its highest. She could hardly contain herself once the ponies climbed back into the firetruck, their next stop being Celestia's Sunlit Tower.