The blood-red morning sun rose over the hill to reveal the smoldering remains of a once quiet fishing village, smoke still rising from the charred wooden houses. The light of dawn also revealed the mare responsible for the blaze; she was sleeping on the ashes of a wooden chair next to the scorched form of a young filly, a horrifying expression burned into her eyes. Pyre awoke with a smile on her face, returning from the first sweet dream she's had in years, but her smile vanished when she saw the filly by her side.

Pyre sighed heavily as she got to her hooves and began to walk through the burned town, observing the devastation she caused last night. She notice a small still burning flame on a flower and she walked towards it. Pyre stared at the burning rose and thought about what will happen when this was all over...

"There with my family and my Fire,
I imagine it in my dreams,
Won't need to know what friendship means,
Not with my family and my Fire.~"

She manipulated the small flame to shift and form into two ponies...

"Mother and Father will be standing there,
They will see how much I've grown,
Nothing more could I desire,
Not with my family and my Fire.~"

Pyre then made the flame become a small foal that jumped into her embrace...

"There is my sister bathed in light,
I hold her and sing a lullaby,
She smiles at me and gives my cheek a kiss,
She says, 'Candelle, I wuv you so much sis.'~"

The flame dissipated and Pyre was alone...

"To reclaim what once was mine,
Is that really such a crime?
I'll burn everything as this 'Pyre',
To be with my family and my Fire.~"

Pyre lowered her head and was silent. The Fiery Alicorn appeared behind her and looked down at the solemn mare. He reached down and touched Pyre's shoulder with his flaming hoof. She turned to him and stared into his red, burning eyes and sighed, "Take me home, Fire...." The Fire Alicorn nodded as it reverted to a flame and began to cover Pyre with its form. The Flame disappeared and Pyre along with it, leaving behind them a burnt waste of a once quiet fishing village...

That same morning , a hooded pony walked over to the train station, earning the glares of the other residents, but he ignored them and proceeded, and soon arrived at the station. He approached he conductor, "I wish to go to Canterlot..." The hooded stallion demanded.

"I'm sorry, sir, do you have a-a-a-a-uhhhhhh......" The conductor pony trailed off as he looked at the purple light that shone from under the stranger's hood.

"Is there a problem...?" The hooded pony chuckled.

"D-D-Do you have a-a-a-a ticket s-s-sir...?" The conductor shivered.

The hooded stallion groaned as he reached into his hood's pocket, the conductor ducked, expecting some sort of weapon, but instead a large sack filled with bits was thrown at his hooves. "Will this cover my ticket...?" The stallion chuckled, "You keep the rest if you keep silent of my being here..."

"Uh...Uh... Yes, sir..." The conductor left to get the hooded stallion his ticket, soon returning, "H-H-Here you go, s-s-sir...." He handed the hooded stallion his ticket, "Now you better get on board, the train'll be leavin' soon!"

"Why thank you, sir... ehehehe...." The hooded stallion chuckled as he boarded the train. He went to the back car to be alone as the train pulled out of the station. The stallion removed his hood to reveal the same stallion who had been terrorizing Coltic Falls. Psych-Optic rubbed his hoof through his purple-ish mane, which was messy and was singed in places. His robotic eye whirred and spun as he began to think out his plan while in Canterlot.

"I cannot keep wasting my time for Candelle to attack that worthless speck of a town any longer..." Psych-Optic growled, "I'll have to ambush her when she returns to Equestria! HAHAHA!!" His synthetic eye spun as he laughed. "But first, I'll need more information of her recent attack...." Psych-Optic's thoughts returned to what the mayor had told him of the arrivals, "Hmmm....., Firepony Chief, eh? Hehehehehe...." Psych-Optic's sadistic mind drifted off into a sick bliss as he began to imagine the fun he'll have in Canterlot....

The Fire Alicorn stood in the doorway of Pyre's torched room as he watched her play with little flames that she was controlling. He watched as she laughed while she played, not a maniacal laugh, but a happy one, like she used to when she was a filly so long ago....

"The Elements of Harmony had no effect on me...." The Fiery Alicorn contemplated, "But it seems that they have worked their power on her...." Pyre was rolling around in the flames, chasing them around like a puppy would with its tail, "The harmony of the Elements are awakening Candelle...."

The Fire Alicorn left the room and began to walk through the destroyed hallway, his fiery body becoming brighter and fiercer, and his smoky mane became thicker and blacker. "My power is near fruition......., I cannot have any mistakes now!!"

Just then, a noise echoed throughout the ruined asylum, the sound of a door opening. The Fiery Alicorn began to flare wildly, flames bursting all around him, smoke belching from his mane, and his eyes burned solid red as he remembered that one.... The one who foiled him those three months ago.... The one who defied him the pleasure of incinerating those wretched princesses... The one who pushed him into the Elements of Harmony.... The one whose presence he felt entering 'Iron Hell' that very moment.

The Fire Alicorn shrank down to a Flame, "I think I'll let Pyre deal with him...." The Flame then vanished into thin air, leaving Pyre alone with the two stallions who had just entered 'Hell'.....

Author's Note

Pyre's song is based on "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables.