When the ice shattered, the full force of Twilight's fury was unleashed. Flames cloaked her entire body; darker, and fueled with much more hatred than she was usually capable holding onto. Her body was bathed in jet black, and even her coat itself had caught fire. Massive raven wings spread from the places her original wings had once been, the edges blazing with blue flames. Her horn had broken in several places, but it had grown several inches, and it too was created with the brightest blue fire she could control without help. Flames even sparked around her eyes, pointing up to the sky as if they were her own personal pair of wings. Her mane didn't look like a part of her body anymore, but an ever burning flame that was hotter than the sun itself. Her eyes had been dyed a bright white, fuchsia pupils standing out against the blankness, their only purpose to showcase the inferno raging deep from within her soul.

She gasped, feeling the bullet still lodged in her chest, trying with all its might to stab into her body with ice. She wrapped her hooves around it, twisting it and grunting in pain. She screamed as she ripped the bullet free. Between her hooves, she could glare at the cursed object that had began her suffering. She pressed onto it, crushing it between her hooves as though it was made of glass. Her body felt hotter than it had ever been before, and fury forced her once paralyzed body to move with the wind.

"Celestia," She hissed, never before having heard such anger in her voice. "I know what you are now, and I am determined to make you pay for your transgressions!"

She flapped her wings, raising herself into the air above the volcano. Her entire body was shaking, anger pulsing through her and making her blood boil. Flames burst from the magma underneath her, surrounding her entire body and stretching for miles. She surrounded herself in a flaming ball of anger that even the sun would quiver in fear seeing. Around the shield she had created for herself, the body of another creature began to form, and her shield was the eye at the very center. The magma that she carried from the volcano solidified into crystals, and they came together to create the glistening shape that one could only identify as a dragon; the same dragon as the ones that inhabited the lands surrounding this very volcano. As the magma solidified, the volcano erupted around her and split the ground apart.

She felt no pain as the volcano shattered from every angle, expelling magma into the sky that rained down in balls of hot lava. They burned everything around as they hit the Earth, and hard rock made craters in the ground as it fell from the skies. Twilight took control as the center of this great beast she had summoned, snaking through the ground and bursting at the surface as she began to move toward the city.

"Celestia!!" She shouted to the sky, hoping that her voice could carry to Whinnyapolis. She could see it in her sights. The sight of this city standing tall and proud only further fueled her fury. "You will know pain, and I will ensure it! All of Sparkle's Fire stands with me, and with their might as my energy, you will burn in the pits of hell from which you were birthed!!"

As she screamed to the open air, the dragon that she had created screamed a war cry into the sky. The scream carried for miles, echoing through the walls of the city. She still had distance to go before she would reach the city, but she was approaching rapidly. The Earth below the beast she made cracked and burst open with fire and magma. Lava flowed from the ground below, trailing from the volcano she had been trapped within for so long. She didn't care about the destruction right now; she knew exactly what she was chasing, and she was determined to reach her goal no matter the cost. She forced the head of the beast into the ground, digging through the Earth and burying underneath the city.

As she dove through, she tore through the pipes that made up the fire hydrants stationed around the city. From their placements on the sidewalks, flames emerged instead of ice. They shot through the sky, spreading flames everywhere that they could touch. From the intersection of one of the streets, Twilight allowed the dragon to burst through into the sky, destroying the structures in the area around her. Glass and debris fell around her, and smoke and dust filled the air.

"Princess Celestia, hear me!!" She screamed. Her voice carried as far as Celestia's Sunlit Tower. "Hear me now; free all captured Burnish this instant! This is my only demand, and this is the final time that I will ask this of you. If my brothers and sisters are not freed soon, I will level Whinnyapolis, and destroy everything that you have built! No amount of ice can tame my fury, not until you yourself have been crushed beneath my flames!!"

The maw of the dragon opened wide, crying out as flames burst from its jaws and fell in waves onto the tallest buildings in the area. The blaze dripped off the buildings like searing waterfalls onto the ground below. Glass shattered as flames quickly traveled through the floors, and burst on the sides. Twilight took no care in sparing any lives; every pony around her was against her existence, and they supported the beast that ruled this city. In her furious gaze, every pony was at fault for her suffering, and the murder of the ponies she cared for so dearly. No pony deserved her mercy... not a single one. She made her own note of that as she twisted the dragon's body, slicing through one of the buildings and watching almost with glee as it crumpled to the ground. The impact made a crater in the street and knocked several other buildings down with it, but it also temporarily trapped the dragon's crystalline body beneath. She hissed as she wiggled her way free, the dragon crying out in rage, before she continued her onslaught throughout the streets.

In one of the buildings nearby, a wall had broken open into the prison cell where Rainbow Dash had been situated. She ran to the opening in the wall, staring out at the immense destruction in the streets. She coughed, covering her muzzle and squinting her eyes as the smoke hit her. Panic rumbled through her head like storm clouds; she had never seen this much destruction in her life! When she wondered what could be causing it, the answer flew past her. She looked up to see the head of the dragon that Twilight had created, still spewing flames from its open jaws as it roamed the streets like a wild animal. She squinted, looking up to its eye and spying the huge raven wings that faintly flapped within.

"Twilight?" Rainbow blinked, surprise taking over her features. "I-is that Twilight?"

Her eyes moved down, watching as a blue flame burst from around the eye of the beast, spilling into the air and dropping to the ground like rain. It flowed across the road, setting what little greenery remained alight. It pooled around the buildings around, but that wasn't what Rainbow was focused on right now. Her face softened as she realized what this flame symbolized. For a moment, she felt as though she could see the tears on Twilight's face.

"...Twilight..." Rainbow whispered, her wings fluttering on her back. "She's crying... she's in pain."

She gritted her teeth, and leapt out of the building to the street. She could worry about the consequences of escaping her cell later. She knew she had to help Twilight, and stop this rampage. Limestone was going to be pissed, but Rainbow Dash couldn't be focused on that, and no amount of threat from Celestia would stop her from doing her duty as part of Burning Rescue. For the safety of her city, and for the pony at the head of it all, Rainbow had to stop Twilight before things got worse.

But in her head, Twilight was nowhere near done. She would never be done until she had dealt with Princess Celestia herself. As she roamed the streets, she heard the sounds of rapidly spinning blades overhead. The beast turned its head, allowing her to catch sight of what was making such a hideous noise. Her eyes burned even deeper with hatred as she spied the familiar logo of the Freeze Force overhead. Her world paused as bullets of ice were fired from the vehicles, and wrapped tightly around the dragon's head, bursting on the spot. But Twilight wouldn't let this ice stop her. Seconds after the ice had formed, it shattered into pieces, falling onto the ground around her and freeing her from the endless cold. Blocks of ice stabbed through what little dirt made up the city's scenery, while other pieces that had been expelled smashed through windows and the steel that held up the skyscrapers.

"You've gotten weaker since I've been gone," She taunted the squadron flying above. "Now get out of my way, loathsome bugs!!"

The beast opened its jaws again, screeching louder than before as it fired its own crystalline bullets towards the vehicles. Few of them were shot down, and for others, the wings that made them capable of flight were destroyed on impact. Fires caught as they descended to the ground, ramming into buildings and the road below. Many of the vehicles exploded on impact, leaving a crater and a raging fire in the center. Surely the ponies and creatures inside those vehicles were dead now, but Twilight didn't care. She paused, turning the head of the beast as she felt the wheels of one of the vehicles rolling across the dragon's scales. She hissed, moving her hoof to control one of the beast's hands.

The hand traveled down the beast's body, and crushed the vehicle between its claws when it lifted it off its scales. But the onslaught wasn't finished just yet; Iron Will had emerged from the vehicle before its destruction, and had managed to bring his own weaponry too. The minotaur laughed as he ran up the beast's scales to the head, firing blocks of ice at the eye the entire way. The ice was weak against a flame this large, and melted off within seconds of contact. Twilight glared at the minotaur as he approached, and when he came close enough, she let her eyes snap shut, trapping the creature under the eyelid of the beast. He struggled against the force, and with his luck he was freed; but not in the way one would expect. Twilight used her energy to fire the minotaur into a nearby building, making every floor above the impact site collapse in on itself, and send Iron Will tumbling to the hard, smoldering ground below.

"I've had enough!" Twilight shrieked into the sky, lifting the head of the beast. "Face me, Celestia!!"

The dragon screamed with her, their voices echoing through every street in the city. She was certain that Celestia had heard her now, and she was desperate to engage in combat. Her body craved to be in the center of the battle, but until that happened, she would destroy every last street in this city. The entire city could burn for all she cared. As fire dripped from the beast's mouth like drool, she could ensure that it all would turn to ashes when she was done with it. She would rather be killed herself than allow this cursed city to stand tall another day.

On the street, Burning Rescue was having the hardest time putting out the rapidly spreading fires. Applejack had put all her energy into driving the truck down the streets, while Pinkie's focus was ensuring that the flames they sped past were put out. The hoses were continually filled and refilled with pallets of ice that were fired off instantly into the surrounding buildings. They were trying desperately to stop the flames, but the flames were moving fast. With only two ponies running the truck, it was a difficult task to handle properly. Regardless of the struggle, they sped through the streets to do their jobs.

"Applejack!" Pinkie yelled to the pony from inside her room. "This is endless, the flames just seem to keep popping up out of no where! It seems that all the Freeze Force ponies have been shot down as well; there are no other ponies that can help us stop these flames! We're all that's left!"

"It's goin' to be alright, Pinkie!" Applejack tried to reassure the mare. "Just keep your focus, we'll stop this!"

As they sped down the road, Applejack recognized a sight up ahead; another flame, but it wasn't on a building. She drove up next to the sight, and looked to her side as she recognized the lit pony speeding down the road.

"Rainbow Dash?" Applejack questioned in surprise.

"Applejack!" Rainbow turned to look at the mare as she ran. "Applejack, there's a huge fire! We need to put it out, quickly!"

"There's one on your flank, Dash," Applejack pointed out what Rainbow Dash had clearly missed.

"What?!" Rainbow Dash looked behind her, taking notice of the flame that had caught itself on her tail.

Her wings broke free from their metal boxes with the immense force the shock of finally noticing the fire gave her. She patted herself, trying to put out the flame as she flung herself through the air, eventually diving inside of the firetruck. Pinkie let her excitement of seeing the pony wait as she grabbed a gun from the wall, firing ice at the flame on Rainbow Dash's flank in a desperate attempt to put it out.

"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash said as the flame began to die out, bringing up Applejack's figure on Pinkie's computer screen. "I'm coming with you guys to put out these fires!"

"But weren't you..?" Applejack started.

"Don't worry about it!" Rainbow assured her, waving her tail when the flame finally died out. "What matters right now is putting out these fires and saving lives, and I want to go for the biggest flame! Pinkie, I'm going to have to ask for your help!"

"Eh?" Pinkie perked as she put her gun back on the wall. "Why me?"

"I know what's causing these fires," Rainbow explained, running to the other side of the truck where the mechs were stored. "It's Twilight! I don't know how it happened, but she got pissed enough that she's destroying everything! I saw it when I was in my cell; I've never seen her this upset before. Whatever the reason is, somepony needs to stop her before she destroys all of Whinnyapolis! And you can help me in your aircraft!"

"Oh boy, adventure!" Pinkie squealed. "Applejack, are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"Ah've done this before," Applejack assured them. "If this Twilight is really startin' these fires, y'all need to stop her fast. Worry about me later, worry about ya'selves now!"

"Yes ma'am!" Rainbow laughed, pulling over a metal crate from the wall.

"I fixed up your fancy mech, by the way Dash!" Pinkie giggled, patting the mare on the back. "Applejack's orders. Turns out she liked how it ran and wanted me to make it a fully fledged project! You better not destroy the entire thing this time, dummy."

"I'll do my best!" Rainbow scratched the back of her head and laughed. She bumped hooves with Pinkie and shared a bright smile with her.

She forced the metal crate holding the machinery open and climbed into the seat while Pinkie loaded it up into the cannon attached to the firetruck. Outside, the cannon stretched out to its full length and aimed itself in one direction. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come. Pinkie slammed her hoof down on a button at the computer, and laughed joyfully as the cannon began warming up. In seconds, it had fired Rainbow Dash in the metal crate into the open air and between the still standing buildings. The mech took its shape when it was out of the cannon, wrapping around Rainbow Dash's body and cloaking her in metal and ice. She pulled the metal rod that contained her spear out from the back of the mech, spread her wings wide, and flapped her wings hard to push forward. She sailed through the air at her top speed, ready to put her plan into action...

Meanwhile, at the center of the city, Twilight was still busy. While she was no longer spreading fires, she patrolled the streets like a lion, terrifying any pony that was still inside their home; any pony that was witness to this destruction daren't face this raging beast. She glanced to the side, looking down the street and spying the destination she had hoped to see the most... Celestia's Sunlit Tower. The dragon turned, head down so she could glare past its mighty scales at this building. She paused allowing herself to take in what she was about to do. She took a shaky breath, clenching her teeth and spreading her wings so wide that they hurt. She slammed her wings down and forced the beast forward. It screamed in fury and raced toward the tower at the fasted speed she could manage to make it.

From the tower, several sections of metal hoses emerged and shot freezing beams of ice at the dragon, ice so cold that even Uranus would shiver from. For a moment, her beast was pushed back from the force of the flames, beginning to coil around itself as its body caught up with it. She hissed, allowing flames to build in the beast's throat. The flames expelled from the back of the dragon's mouth, wrapping around the tower and shattering the hoses that spewed the frozen water at her. She brought the beast forth, coiling in layers around the tower and gripping onto it with all its might. It screamed, shooting flames from its maw to destroy the other hoses that burst around the tower. Metal and shattered ice fell in bundles around the great building and filled the streets below, useless against Twilight's fury.

Twilight paused her rampage as her eyes trained on something on the tower's roof. Her entire body shook with rage as she recognized the pure white alicorn, standing almost proud on the edge of the tower. Her hair flowed beautifully in the wind, and her horn was glistening with golden magic. Her expression was hardened, and her wings were spread wide. One of her hooves twitched as she craned her neck forth and opened her mouth.

"Sparkle's Fire!" She yelled up at the dragon. "I am here!"

"Celestia..." Twilight allowed herself to whisper, teeth clenched together harder than before.

Her hooves were shaking, and her eye twitched. Her wings had stopped flapping, but still she hovered at the center of the flaming ball she had created as her shield. She pressed her hooves together against her chest, feeling it rising and falling rapidly as her anger overtook her body. Her face felt even hotter than before, and she was nearly sweating. The dragon's mouth opened wide, channeling all of the energy it could manage in its throat. Celestia herself prepared for an attack, spreading her legs and lowering her head. Her horn glistened brighter than even Twilight's flames, ready to put an end to this attack on her city. Twilight bit down hard on the air as she sucked in a lungful, and prepared herself to fire and destroy this pony once and for all...

...But suddenly, she was forced to pause as something collided with her shield, sending the dragon's head flying in another direction. She recognized the cold feeling of ice through the flames, and heard the voice of a pony she had only spoken to very little before. She barely had time to be nostalgic as she felt her heart beating in her head and stomach, and boiling blood pumping through her body...

"Twilight Sparkle!" Rainbow Dash shouted as her hooves pressed against the shield. Her armor was beginning to melt from the immense heat, but she ignored it and the pain it brought with. Despite the shaking in her legs and wings, she held on.

"You again?!" Twilight snapped, her horn glowing bright with flame and magic. "Get out of my way, you vile stain!!"

She fired a beam of teal flames at Rainbow Dash, but the pony seemed unfazed. The pegasus mare lifted her visor and pushed forth with all her might.

"Your flames aren't hot at all!" She yelled, digging her hooves further into the shield. "You've destroyed enough of this city, Twilight Sparkle, and it's time someone put a stop to your rampage! No matter how much you burn and how much you destroy, we won't stop putting out your fires! Your rampage ends today!"

She lifted her spear, channeling as much of her strength as she could to stab into the eye of the dragon. At the contact site, ice began to spread to cover the flaming ball Twilight had used as a shield. Twilight gasped as the beast screamed, and its entire body was encased in ice in seconds. Rainbow Dash had put all of her strength into this attack, and her plan had worked. Twilight's fury melted through the ice, propelling her and Rainbow Dash through the air. The pegasus held her tight between her hooves, even though the alicorn struggled like hell to escape. As they sailed through the sky, they soon found themselves rolling into the container of an aircraft, and hitting against the metal walls. At the head of the aircraft, Pinkie sighed in relief as she caught the two ponies, half terrified she would've missed them. She pulled up at the control panel, forcing the aircraft to lift up from the ground and splash water everywhere as she sailed over one of the city's pony-made rivers. The door shut tight on the container seconds before the uplift could've thrown the ponies within out into the water and dirt.

The aircraft flew into the sky over the city, blowing smoke out of the way from the still burning flames so that the pilot could see. Pinkie silently hoped that Applejack was doing alright on the ground, putting out the fires by herself. She grunted as the aircraft jolted, and flames burst from the closed door at the back of the ship. She brought herself back to reality, realizing that her job wasn't entirely done yet, and Twilight's fury had not been tamed so far...

Author's Note

Hoooh boy I've been waiting to write this chapter since I started this book! I hope you guys enjoyed it; this was SOOOO much fun to write!