Equestria's Pyre

Two hours had passed, and other than the filly, no other survivors had been found, just more bodies. Twilight and Chief Flashpoint were sitting at a foldable table discussing how the fire started.

"But there's no possible way the fire could have spread across the city in such a short amount of time without drenching the city with oil..." Flashpoint explained to Twilight, who had suggested that the fire could have been arson.

Twilight shook her head. "Not oil, magic. I've read of spells that allows a pony to manipulate fire, but even then, it would be hard to control that fire without being in the city..."

"Okay then," Flashpoint replied, "so this pony would've had been in the city during the fire..., then they must've been fried..., nopony could stand the flames so long if they spread it across the city..."

Twilight nodded and continued to think, and then she remembered. "That mare!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What?"

"The mare that you told me somepony saw, he said she was walking through the flames and... singing, and not being burned by the heat!" Twilight elaborated.

"That's right!" Flashpoint said in agreement, "She would have been able to control the fire and not fry. Well then," Flashpoint said as he got up,"we've got a suspect! I think we need to talk to that stallion and see if he can't describe her better. Nice job, Twilight. I see why Celestia held you in such high regard."

The two of them then left for the Med. Tent.

"Two hours..." Rainbow Dash sighed loudly, "Two hours, and no survivors..." She, Applejack, and Pinkie had been looking for survivors in the west side of was once Fillydelphia, but with no luck. The only ponies they found, were their bodies and torched corpses.

Pinkie, who normally bounced alongside her friends with a big smile, was sullen and trotted slowly along. In her whole life, she had never seen anything so depressing. Looking for survivors of a massive fire that burned down an entire city and being met with nothing but dead ponies, it had crushed her any spirit she had going into this.

Pinkie wasn't the only one out of character. Applejack, who usually was jolly, was also sullen and sore. After yelling at Pinkie, she became extremely tense and irritable. When Rainbow Dash told her that she was a bit too rough on Pinkie, Applejack lashed out at Dash, giving her a black eye. She then just move on ahead, leaving Dash and Pinkie wondering what the hay was wrong with her.

They were on there way back, when they passed the ally from before. Applejack was quick to pass it. "Get a move on, you two!" Applejack called back angrily. Rainbow Dash followed, holding her eye as she flew. But then as Pinkie went by...

"Huh? What's this?" Pinkie stopped and looked at ground.

"Oh, fer cryin' out loud!" Applejack groaned as she turned around towards Pinkie. "What's it this time? A rock? A cake? What?!"

"Quit it, Applejack," Rainbow Dash scolded, sick of her attitude. "What'cha find Pinkie?"

"This hair.." Pinkie replied, holding a fiery orange hair in her hoof, "and it's really warm..."

"'Course it's warm," Applejack interrupted, "this whole place was on fire."

"But that was last night, Applejack," Rainbow Dash defended. "Let me see Pinkie..." Pinkie handed it to her, and immediately she felt how warm the hair was.

"And it's the same color as the mane of that pony I-"

"Enough!" Applejack shouted, "Fer the last time, you didn't see anyone, Pinkie!" She knocked the hair out of Dash's hooves and started to to smash it into the dirt and rubble til she couldn't see it among the ash. She then turned and galloped away to the camp. Pinkie and Dash stood there in shock at what she'd done, then proceeded to follow after her.

Twilight and Flashpoint arrive at the Med. Tent, which was the size of house. When they went in, Twilight saw that not even a quarter of the beds were occupied. She had counted only nine ponies...

"There he is," Flashpoint pointed him out, "Right there next to your friend." It was Fluttershy, who had been tending to the patient's pillows.

"There you go, all fluffed," Fluttershy squeaked," I-I hope you get better soon, Mr. Gears."

"Thanks, miss," He replied, "but please, call me Greasy." Greasy Gears was a mechanic who worked at the edge of town, managing to avoid the hotter part of the fire.

Flashpoint and Twilight walked over to his bed. Twilight waved at Fluttershy, who waved back eagerly. Flashpoint dismissed Fluttershy and proceeded to ask Greasy Gears about what he saw in the fire.

"I already told ya," Greasy replied hastily, "It was a mare walkin' through the flames!"

"We know that part," Twilight told him, "we just want to know any other details. She's our prime suspect."

"Well she was singin'-"

"We know that part too," She interrupted, "I mean physical features. Was she a unicorn?"

Greasy sat there and tried to remember. "Might've been," he replied, "I dunno, but she didn't have a mane or tail and-"

"Wait, wait, back up," Flashpoint butted in, "What do you mean no mane or tail?"

"Like I said, she didn't have a mane or tail," Greasy continued, "Least, none I could see..."

Twilight pondered this for a moment, and reached a conclusion. "Perhaps the mare had a fire-like mane and tail, that would explain why you didn't see them, Greasy."

"Yeah! Good thinking, Twilight," Flashpoint congratulated, "Now we can-" His radio went off. "'Excuse me again..." He walked away and responded. Couple seconds later, he's done and approaches Twi. "Your friends Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie are back, and the first two are fighting outside..."