Spitfire: a quick-tempered or highly emotional person

Several sunrises of traveling south, Capper insisted, and many 'lessons', Raven insisted, later, the party arrived in a most peculiar location. The land before them was as bare as a husk of a tree, pale beige dirt as far as the eye could see, brittle brown bushes whipping in the wind. But that wasn't the most distressing part about this new place. It was the gouts of fire that sprung up every once in a while in seemingly random places and intervals too.

"Capper, what is this place?" Celestia asked, nervous but trying her best not to show it.

"The Barrens of Tartarus." Capper exclaimed proudly, but even Celestia heard the tinge of uneasiness.

"How delightful, Abyssinian." Raven deadpanned, she reached up and adjusted her glasses with a hint of a frown. "I do not condone this plan. My missus is not ready for Earthfire. I do not wish to tell her family that she had become a charbroiled radish."

"Believe me," Caper sighed and raked his hands through his hair, a pained expression on his usually joyful face. "I don't want to do this either, but there is no other way."

"That so?" Raven tapped at her clipboard, her impassivity still ever at the forefront. "That may be so, however, I believe I shall take my chances and keep my missus here instead of crossing the Barrens."

"Do I...?" Celestia started, but was immediately cut off.

"Are you provoking me?" Capper grinned, his mask back up in a flash. The extreme shifts with Capper made Celestia's head hurt. "This is not a fight you will win, dear Inkwell."

"Pray tell, what makes you so sure, Abyssinian?" Raven advanced a couple steps forwards.

"Why, my feline charms and my willingness to play a little dirty." Capper danced backwards a little, with an almost flirty expression.

"Do not think you can test me." Celestia swore she heard a growl behind those words. She slowly inched away from the bristling duo, unconsciously stepping over the boundary that separated the forest and the Barrens.

"The little pony has gotten a little feisty!" Capper chuckled and gestured for Raven to come at him. She was all but willing, launching herself fists swinging.

The spar was intense. Capper ducked and weaved between every blow, relying on his cat-like agility to swerve and evade. He would lightly bat Raven between her blows before ducking away yet again. As for Raven, she was blessed with the force and grit of earth ponies, so every strike had the air humming with unleashed force. While her speed did not compare, she made it up with terrifying power as the ground cracked with every step she took. A right hook followed by a left jab. Capper would then get in close and let the blows slide past his constantly weaving body before taking a shot to her abdomen, which would connect but barely leave a dent.

"Stop moving, Abyssinian!" Raven gasped out after throwing too many punches. She was breathing heavily.

"That would not be good for my health, dear Inkwell." Capper bowed before skipping away from yet another punch. He grinned but Celestia could see the strain as his chest pumped up and down just a bit too fast.

"Gah! Insufferable ingrate!" Raven swung wide and was promptly pushed by Capper, she toppled over, her chest heaving.

"And you, dear Inkwell, are a prissy pushover." Capper wheezed out before collapsing himself.

Celestia sighed in relief. She wasn't sure how long the two of them would've been at it. She plopped her rump down before jumping back up in shock. The ground was not cool, nor was it grassy like the ground she would usually associate with the forest floor. No, this floor was something else. Celestia slowly looked down with creeping realization. She was in the Barrens. Just then, the ground beneath her started to slide inward, taking Celestia with it. She panicked and started scrambling away from the hole. Moments right after she had put some distance, the ground burned as a pillar of fire lit up the sky. She couldn't help but scream from the suddenness of it.

"Miss Celestia!"

"Celestia!"

The fire shut off just as fast, leaving a crystallized hole that was already crumbling back into the yellow-brown dirt. Celestia flopped onto her back, chest heaving form shock and relief. The world somewhat faded as she struggled to regain her breath. As the blurry black edges slid backwards, a yellow head looked down at her with mild annoyance.

"W...who are you?" Celestia managed to stammer out, her back feeling extremely hot.

"Spitfire, ma'am." The woman held out her hand which Celestia accepted. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear away the dust and tears, before looking back at the newcomer. A vibrant lithe yellow pegasus, complete with a shock of a two-tone orange mane. "And if I may be so blunt, what are you doing in the Barrens? This place don't welcome newcomers very fondly."

"Yeah...I can imagine." Celestia offered a pitiful smile. Spitfire just sighed and patted her on the back before wandering off. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Because I want to help those who have helped me!" Celestia shouted after the retreating figure.

"You're better off never have knowing about me." Spitfire waved before disappearing over a dune. That was the moment that Capper and Raven showed up.

"What was that!?" Capper laughed in shock, all the while grinning like an idiot. "You are so lucky, Tia, with that flame pillar. And who was that random mare? She had a pretty good tail, if I were to be honest."

"Is that all you think about, Abyssinian? Tails of randm mares?" Raven tsked before standing to attention next to Celestia. "Well, whatever. Now that we've crossed the border, I would have to concede to your point, Abyssinian. We'll cross the Barrens."

Capper merely nodded grimly. There was a small silence as the three took stock of their surroundings, themselves, and each other. Celestia was pulled up to her feet and then brushed off by Raven, before being okayed. Capper took the lead, now equipped with an easy-going smile. Celestia went in the middle whilst Raven took the rear. Her ever disapproving gaze taking in every detail the Barrens of Tartarus has to offer.

The sands, as Celestia learned later by Capper, were hot, ever-shifting, and coarse underneath her footsteps. What was worse was the constant wind blowing sand everywhere. It got everywhere. She had to constantly shift and brush herself off. What made the journey ten times worse, however, were the gouts of fire. There were a couple of times where the three had to jump to one side to escape from being incinerated.

"Where does this go, Capper?" Celestia finally asked after the sun had fallen in the sky a considerable amount.

"Yes, Abyssinian, I wish to know as well." Raven tutted, scratching something onto her clipboard.

"There's uh...how do I explain this?" Capper let his false smile fall and replaced with a serious ponderous look. "Past the Barrens lies the Fair Grounds, home to the many. And since you are escaping your fate, Celestia, Fair Grounds is your best chance for stability, even if temporary."

"Is there a way we can trust you?" Raven asked, apprehensive and her hand inching towards the concealed knife.

"Only my word."

A heavy silence.

"All right. Let us go to Fair Grounds." Celestia declares and the three pick up their pace.

Author's Note

Extremely terribly sorry for the extremely late chapter. I forgot about it, then I had insurmountable work, then I eventually lost interest in it. But dw! I'm back! For good I hope. No guarantees tho.

Massive kudos to Comickook.