Pyre's Reckoning

A thick black cloud of smoke hung over the early train as it pulled into the station, which was darkened by the high shadows of the afternoon. The whistle blown wasn't as loud as it normally would have been, as if the long shadows blotted out the sound. The harsh and chilling wind that blew around the train was akin to being with a pack of Windegos in the frozen Crystal Spires; unusual weather for a summer afternoon.

The few passengers aboard the train were shivering as the exited. Their faces were pale and stiff, and they were unable to talk without stuttering. The ponies waiting in the station were unnerved by and somewhat concerned, but they soon found themselves feeling the same way when a hooded stallion stepped off the train.

They all backed away as the stranger slowly trotted past, faint whirring noises occurring whenever he tilted his head. Some of them sweared they had seen a purple glow from under the stranger's hood.

The hooded stallion said nothing as he trotted off the station, and when he left, the chilled wind vanished and the sunlight blew away the haze that surrounded the train, as if it left with him....

"I can't believe Princess Celestia would ask me to deliver this letter to Twilight personally! But why...?"

Bright contemplated this question as she walked through Ponyville, after arriving on a royal chariot.

"I thought the princess had placed an enchantment on Twilight's dragon that allows them to send letters to each other easily? Why send me? And what did she mean that I could help Pyre? I should be at the Canterlot station waiting for Cold, not delivering letters!"

Bright held her head and sighed, "I shouldn't worry about Cold so much.... Besides, I'm going to see Twilight again..." She smiled, "I haven't seen her since she came here to Ponyville..., wonder if she'll even remember me..."

Bright trotted up to the door of the library, where Celestia said Twilight resides.

"Heh, of course she'd stay at a library..."

Bright knocked on the door and waited for a few moments before knocking again.

"Maybe she's not home.... I guess I could go in...., libraries are public places after all...." Bright opened the door and walked in, she didn't like going into a place when nopony's home, be she wasn't going to sit outside the door waiting.

"Wow, this place is a mess!" Bright stepped over the piles of books on the floor, but tripped over a purple shape and landed on a pile of opened books.

"Uhh...wha....who?" The purle shape got up to her hooves and groggily looked around.

"Uhh... Spike? Is that you?" The shaped yawned as she rubbed her mane out of her face.

"Uhhh...." Bright groaned as she got up to her hooves and tried to focus in on the three purple ponies.

"Uh... Twilight?" Bright reached out to one of the three purple shapes but fell forward through the optical illusion and reunited with another pile of books.

The chilly wind seemed to follow Psych-Optic as he traversed through Canterlot, causing everypony he passed to shiver and stare at the hooded stallion who just passed by.

He became increasingly irritated as continuously walks by head-held-high, snobbish, 'high class' unicorns who look at his appearance and huff off with what they think is a clever remark.

Such type always annoyed Vast, even as a young colt obsessed with the 'pony condition' and wanting to share his findings. But at every instance, he was ignored, even by his own parents, as they were too busy arguing or fighting. When he would try to intervene, he would be slapped away by the drunken fool that was his father, and would return to the sanctum of his room.

His fascination with the inner-workings of the mind made Vast an outcast among even the least popular of ponies. It was only when she loved him did he ever truly feel....

Psych-Optic's robotic eye whirred as he passed by the Firepony station.

He scolded himself for reminiscing over such nonsense and walked over to the side of the building.

His 'eye' scanned the wall to find the alarm wire and the worked to disarm it, which was quite simple work.

"Wouldn't want to let all of Canterlot know I'm here.....yet..." The warped stallion smiled as he trotted over to the back door and went inside, his 'eye' sparking in anticipation of the...'fun' to come...

Twilight' eyes widened as she read Celestia's letter Bright had given her. She sighed and set the scoll down on the table.

"I can't believe it...." Twilight sighed, "All our effort..., all the pain..., and the Elements did nothing...."

Bright could only nod as she saw her old friend begin to tear up.

"And she's been in other kingdoms and countries..., hurting them in her crazed delusion..."

Bright walked over to Twilight, "I'm confident that Celestia has a plan..."

"I know.., but why would she wait until now to tell me?"

Bright couldn't find an answer and looked down and sighed.

Twilight sighed as well, "Celestia said in the letter that Flashpoint went with... Cold Facts? Isn't that your brother?"

Bright nodded, "They left two days ago..." She sighed, "They're going to the facility where Pyre was kept..."

"Really? Why would Celestia send them there?"

Bright turned away, "Because.... she believes that.... something might have happened there to make her reject any help..."

Twilight pondered this thought for a second before returning to Celestia's letter, "Who's this? A Vast Minds?"

Bright looked down at her hooves again, " Our.... father..."

Twilight's eyes widened again and she read more of the letter, "The princess says he might be responsible... for Pyre's distrust in others..." She looked at Bright, "He was the founder of the facility..."

Bright sulked and Twilight understood to change the subject, "She also says that you're supposed to help Candelle come to her senses..." She smiled, "You were always good at helping others Bright..."

Bright nodded and continued to sit, remembering all the times Vast would beat Cold for getting in-between him and herself, all the times he made her cry...

Twilight sighed and went over to a desk and pulled out a paper, some ink, and a quill, and she began to write a letter to return to Celestia. So many thought ran through her head as she wrote. Why did the Elements have no effect? Why did she wait to tell her faithful student? How are they even going to defend Equestria from Pyre again?