Where's the Fire?

Chapters

Chapter 1: Call in The Fireman!
Chapter 2: Fanning the Flames
Chapter 3: A Burning Passion
Chapter 4: The Heat of Battle
Chapter 5: Out of the Frying Pan....
Chapter 6: ....And Into the Hell Fire
Chapter 7: Anything Goes, Everything Burns
Chapter 8: Just let it Simmer
Chapter 9: The Legend of El Bombero
Chapter 10: Torched Upon Death
Chapter 11: A Fireman's Lament
Epilogue: Crow's Feet

Chapter 1: Call in The Fireman!

"Alright listen up! The lamb and the false shepherd have been spotted at Fink Manufacturing." Captain Randolph shouted over the roar of the rockets. "Better get ready for a fight, because these two have been giving our boys hell today." he warned.

Thomas checked his straps and gave his helmet a hard knock. He was ready for whatever came his way. As he stood on the floating dirigible, he looked out over the grand city of Columbia. He had only been in the city half a year, but the cloud dwelling utopia had made it's mark on him. He was happy to serve in Comstock's regime, and was more than willing to die for the Prophet.

"Remember boys, Comstock wants Elizabeth alive, so make sure you watch your fire and take DeWitt down hard and fast." The captain turned to Thomas. "You got that Tom?"

Thomas simply roared in response. "For the Prophet, for the Founders!"

His helmet distorted his voice, making him sound a bit odd, but quite intimidating and for added affect, he pointed his hands upward and let off a column of flames.

The rest of the group cheered along, guns raised in the air.

"Alright then, let's go make Comstock proud and show gutter rats like Fitzroy why you don't mess with the regime!" Randolph declared.

The airship landed on the loading docks of Jeremiah Fink's factory and the men quickly jumped off and secured the area. Some factory workers were shooed away as Thomas leaped from the ship and landed hard on the dock; leaving a scorch mark in the wood.

"Okay boys lets get in there and fry this son-of-a-bitch." the Fireman commanded as he took charge of the group.

The first few soldiers entered the factory and, once they announced an all clear, were quickly followed by the rest. They walked along a narrow corridor that opened up into a much larger part of the factory. The workers had been evacuated already, which was something that Thomas was relieved to see. He had listened to the radio when this all started and knew that enough civilian blood had been spilled already.

"Hey look!" one of the men called out. He pointed to a women on the other side of the factory floor. The group easily identified this woman as Elizabeth.

"There she is, grab her!" Thomas called out as he charged. He may have been big and bulky in his leather armor and padding, but he could run like hell on wheels.

He was closing in on her fast and assumed she would cower and surrender within a few seconds, but he didn't anticipate the madness that would ensue.

As he got within feet of the lamb, she opened up some sort of hole in front of the charging Fireman. He had no way to stop himself in time to avoid falling into whatever ungodly trap she had set for him. Thomas screamed as he began to fall from Columbia and into the bowls of the unknown, but the feeling of falling was quickly replaced with a hard bang as he hit something solid. All Thomas saw was blue sky before everything went black.

* * *

"What do ya think it is, Scootaloo?"

"No idea, it looks like a giant furnace."

"What's a furnace?"

"It's something that you use to heat stuff up with."

"You mean like an oven?"

"Not exactly."

Thomas couldn't open his eyes right away, but he could definitely feel quite a bit. He had a terrible headache, his back was killing him, and it felt like he might have sprained his right ankle, but he was alive in any case. The voices he heard sounded like children, so he must have landed in a residential part of Columbia.

"Should we go tell somepony about it, Sweetie Belle?"

"I don't know, what do you think Apple Bloom?"

"Well I reckon Applejack's gonna wanna find out what this here uhh...furnace... is doin laying around."

"So let's go to Sweet Apple Acres"

Thomas had to stop himself from laughing. What kind of names were these children given? Surely they must be nicknames, as no sane parent would name their child Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle.

Suddenly something began to bother the Fireman. After spending six months in a floating city, he was used to the constant moving of the buildings and districts of Columbia, but now he didn't feel any such motion. It actually felt like he was on solid earth, but that couldn't be true, could it?

"Hello? Who's there?" he asked in the hope of aid. "Can you get your parents? I need medical attention."

The Fireman heard three distinct squeals as the startled children became aware that he was alive.

"It can talk!?"

"Furnaces can't talk, can they?"

"None that I've ever seen."

Thomas opened his eyes, which hurt at first as they adjusted to the light. Through his welder's mask he could see three horses staring back at him. This wouldn't normally be surprising to him, as he saw horses all the time, but these ones looked very strange indeed. One was even wearing a ribbon.

"What in God's name...." he muttered as he tried to sit up. After training in his armor for so long, it's extra weight did little to hinder his movement, and sitting up was a fairly simple endeavor. As he did, the three fillies jumped backwards in surprise.

"It can move!? Since when can furnaces move by themselves?" the white horse asked.

"I'm still getting over the fact that it spoke." the orange one responded.

"wh-what? By The Prophet, I must have hit my head harder than I thought." Thomas mused.

"Who's The Prophet?" the yellow filly questioned.

"Ghahhh!" Thomas hopped up on both feet when he realized the three horses were actually speaking; a decision he quickly regretted as a sharp pain shot through his ankle and he fell to one knee.

"Jesus, that stings!" he yelled as he messaged the injury. The three horses stood by, but had backed away a few more feet.

"What the hay are you mister?" the yellow one asked.

Thomas looked up from his wounded ankle and studied the three creatures standing before him. He then looked beyond them and investigated the environment. The Fireman was kneeling on a dirt road with trees on either side. It didn't take long for him to figure out that he wasn't in Columbia anymore.

"Where am I?" he asked, almost surprised that he was actually talking back to the ponies.

"Hey, I asked you a question first!" the yellow one pointed out.

Thomas tried to make sense of the situation. Did he die somehow? Perhaps this was just heaven and he was now resting in the beyond. However, he quickly dismissed this possibility as he looked at the three ponies still standing before him. Heaven consisting of talking equines; surely God wouldn't be so cruel.

"Am I in America?" he asked half-heartedly. The Fireman had a feeling he wasn't.

"Uhh....no. Your in Equestria Mr. Furnace." the yellow one answered. "My name's Apple Bloom. This here's Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo." she said, motioning to her friends. "What's your name?"

"Thomas." he said, rubbing his ankle. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Elizabeth. The girl had opened up a portal that he fell right into. There had always been rumors circulating about what kind of powers she possessed, but intelligence was sketchy at best, and Comstock never gave the police or military a clear idea of what they'd be facing.

"Guess she has the power to screw me over." he thought out loud.

"Well Thomas, watcha doin here?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Honestly I don't know. I was trapped here by someone I was trying to apprehend. Now I have no idea how to get back to where I came from." he admitted.

As he thought about it, the situation got grim fast. Elizabeth probably didn't even know where she had sent him. She opened that portal in an act of surprised desperation. It was probably just a portal to any random place and he doubted she would ever try to look for him. He was truly on his own.

"You could talk to Twilight. She has tons of books that might help." Scootaloo suggested excitedly.

Thomas thought for a moment. This whole day had been crazy, but in the last few minutes it went to a whole new level. He wasn't in the land of men anymore and he didn't know if there was any way back, but going with these talking ponies was worth a shot if it meant getting back to Columbia; to the Prophet. Plus he didn't really have any other option. It probably wasn't wise to venture around this place by himself.

"Alright. Take me to this 'Twilight'." the Fireman conceded.

"Sure thing Mr. Thomas! We can just..." Scootaloo was quickly silenced by her two friends. The three huddled together, clearly trying to keep their discussion quiet. However, it wasn't difficult for Thomas to pick up on what they were saying.

"Are you crazy Scootaloo? We have no idea what this thing is and you wanna just bring it into town?" Apple Bloom scolded in a whisper.

"What's the big deal, it's just a furnace. I mean look at it." The group quickly glanced over at the now standing Fireman. Luckily for him his knee wasn't as badly injured as he thought. He could now put most of his weight on it with minimal pain.

Scootaloo gulped as he looked their way. "Well, he does look a little scary now that I think about it."

"You think?" Sweetie Belle asked sarcastically.

Thomas felt like he was on the border of insanity. He knew exactly what had happened, but his mind was having a hard time wrapping itself around it all. He could understand this of course, but the resulting headache wasn't doing much for his already soar mood. The Fireman was about ready to just end this madness and off himself, but he wasn't the suicidal type. Besides, such actions were sins in the eyes of the lord, and he didn't come all this way just to wind up at Hell's flaming gates, though that did sound pretty cool. He sighed and stretched his upper body as much as he could within the confining armor.

"Mr. Thomas?"

The Fireman looked down to see Scootaloo tapping his shin guard. "Yes?"

"Do you think it might be okay if...umm...well if you don't mind. You see, it's not that we don't trust you or anything it's just that.." she kept tripping over her words, but he understood.

"I get it." he said flatly. "Tell me, am I the first human you've ever seen?"

"You mean furnace?" Sweetie Belle corrected.

The Fireman face-palmed and shook his head. "No, I mean human. That is what species I am. You see this?" he asked knocking on his metal helmet. "This is just armor."

"Oh!" the three said in a moment of clarity. "So why not take the armor off, I mean it's kinda scary lookin." Apple Bloom admitted.

"It's supposed to be scary, for intimidation value. Plus it's a burden to take on and off." Thomas spoke truthfully. He hated the time consuming task of suiting up, which he managed to get down to about ten to fifteen minutes by himself; five to eight if his fellow soldiers helped.

"Okay then. Yeah we've never seen anything like you before."

"Great." Thomas muttered. "Well I can wait here if you wan't to grab this Twilight character."

None of the fillies got to respond due to a sudden roar emanating from the tree line. Thomas looked in that direction to see five creatures emerge from the brush.

"Timberwolves!" Apple Bloom screamed.

"Oh, how original." Scootaloo muttered, rolling her eyes.

Another loud howl caused the ponies to cower behind Thomas as the wooden wolves identified their next potential meal. Without pause, the pack charged at the fillies and Fireman, bearing their fangs and howling ferociously.

Thomas looked at the huddled ponies, then back to the charging creatures. He almost chuckled as one of his hands lit up and he formed a sizable fire grenade. The creatures were closing in fast, but the Fireman had more than enough time.

He tossed the ball of flames in the wolves' path, but the snarling creatures paid it little mind. They already had their eyes set on their prey.

The pyromaniac raised three fingers, which he began counting down with as the pack drew closer. When the last finger folded in, the ball of flames responded to the timberwolves as they entered its proximity.

A large explosion enveloped the attacking pack as surprised yelps from the wolves were drowned out by the barrage of booms that followed. When the flames died down, nothing was left of the timberwolves but smoldering piles of ash.

"Bwahahaha!" Thomas laughed gleefully. "A world inhabited by wooden animals? I might actually be in heaven after all."

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo rubbed their eyes as they tried to figure out what just happened.

"Was that magic?" Sweetie Belle finally asked.

Thomas looked at the three. "Yes, the magic of vigor!" he said proudly.

As he said this, a louder roar was heard from beyond the trees. The Fireman charged himself up and his smoke stack whistled the melody of impending battle. The machinery and pipes that lined his body began glowing bright red as he heated himself up, and flames suddenly consumed his hands. "Is that more wooden creatures for me to expel?" he asked eagerly.

"Uh...n-no." Sweetie Belle squealed as she put her head under her hooves. The other two ponies quickly followed suit. Thomas looked back at the forest with a look of confusion on his concealed face. He almost fell backward as a column of fire burst from the trees and into the sky. A large black creature flew out of the forest and into full view.

"That'd be a dragon." Scootaloo pointed out before hiding in her hooves once more. The creature looked around a moment before setting its red eyes on Thomas and the three fillies.

"Ah shit." the Fireman sighed as he charged up more salts. "This day just got a helluva lot worse."

Chapter 2: Fanning the Flames

It didn't take long for the dragon to decide that it didn't much like the four creatures standing so close to its temporary dwelling. Before Thomas had a chance to make a move, the creature flew at the group with lethal intent. Its jaws barely missed Thomas as he threw a few fire grenades at the passing beast.

"Why the hell is this thing so angry?" the Fireman asked the still cowering fillies.

"Well dragons aren't really known for their peaceful nature." Apple Bloom retorted. She quickly hid her head again when she saw the creature turn to make another pass.

"Oh yeah? Well this ones about to be known for its dead nature." Thomas declared, trying to create a facade of bravery. In reality, he was scared out of his mind. The biggest, most intimidating creature he had seen before now was the Song Bird, and that wasn't even half as big as this dragon.

The reptilian nightmare inhaled as it came close to Thomas and the ponies. The Fireman could tell what it was doing and quickly acted accordingly; scooping up the three fillies and turning his back to the dragon. He felt the heat of fire as the dragon exhaled its deadly payload. The ponies screamed as the deadly flames passed them, but none were directly burned by the assault.

When the dragon flew overhead, Thomas got back up and planned his next move. Luckily the beast used fire based attacks; something he didn't really have to worry about. Unfortunately, the dragon was likely to be equally fire resistant, so the two were more or less at a stale mate. Though the dragon still had claws, jaws, and size on its side.

"Goddammit! I don't know what to do!" he spat in frustration. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were still trying to get over the fact that they just survived a direct blast from a dragon and made it through unscathed.

The beast in question came around again, but Thomas was ready this time. He ran away from the fillies and waved his hands; trying to get the creature's attention. Luckily it worked and the dragon began following him. He ran toward a group of rocks that were jutting out of the ground and used them as cover when the dragon flew by. That's when he had an idea.

"Hey you overgrown lizard, come and get me!" he yelled as he stood on top of the largest rock. The dragon needed no more encouragement to fly at the Fireman; mouth agape and ready for a meal. Thomas however, was ready and as the dragon reached him, he jumped as high as he could. Somehow, Thomas managed to clear the beast and land on its back, but the dragon's velocity took him by surprise and he nearly slid right off. The Fireman quickly grabbed onto one of the spines sticking out of the creatures back and held on tight.

The dragon roared in both surprise and anger as it tried to shake the Fireman off, but Thomas had other ideas. He quickly climbed his way to the dragon's head. Some of the shorter spikes began poking him through his armor, but none could pierce the thick leather. Thomas waited until the dragon began flying toward the rocks once more. As it did, he charged his hands up, but instead of flames, he released a cloud of black smoke.

The dragon thrashed in the air as its vision was compromised and it no longer knew where it was going. The Fireman stayed on long enough to ensure the creature's trajectory was right, and then jumped off the out of control beast, landing in a nearby bush. He quickly righted himself just as the smoke cleared from the dragon's face and the reptile could see the rocks it was flying towards.

It let out a desperate roar of flames before crashing head first into the largest stone; causing the boulder to break from the impact. As the dust cleared, the beast could be seen panting heavily on the ground. It slowly struggled to its feet and then promptly flew away in a defeated daze.

"Where..... are you going?" Thomas shouted at the dragon between labored breaths. "I'm not..... done.... with you yet.... you bastard!"

The Fireman chucked another grenade at the fleeing beast, then fell to his knees and caught his breath.

"Mr. Thomas, that was incredible!" Scootaloo screamed as the three ponies ran over to the recovering Fireman.

"You jumped on that dragon like something out of a Daring Do story! It was amazing!" Sweetie Belle squealed.

"You also saved our lives. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Apple Bloom cried.

Thomas couldn't believe what he just did. Sure he'd seen combat before; putting down a Vox Populi insurrection here and there. He had even built up a fairly sizable body count, but this.....He just won a bout with a beast so big it made the Song Bird look like a domesticated house pet, at least in his eyes.

The Fireman quickly came down from his temporary high as he realized he was still in a bizarre world with strange creatures and no idea how to get back to Columbia.

"Would you still like me to remain here while you fetch Twilight?" he asked, brushing himself off.

"Oh no no no. There's no need for that. I reckon you've more than earned our trust." Apple Bloom assured and with that, the group set off for Ponyville.

* * *

When they reached the quaint little town, Thomas was amazed at how similar it was to his own world. Sure there were obvious differences, like in the architecture and such, but on the whole it was very much like the world he had left behind. The ponies in town were what he had expected them to look like. The adults were more or less larger versions of the three fillies he met already.

Thomas did his best not to come off as threatening, which was a bit of a chore since "threatening" was what Firemen were all about. As he was led through town, the Fireman received no shortage of strange looks from the inhabitants. Ponies stared him down as he passed by the shops and food carts, while any colt or mare who crossed his path quickened their pace to move out of the way.

This must have been what it felt like for all the colored and Irish folk when they first arrived in Columbia, Thomas thought. It almost made the Fireman feel sympathetic in a way.

"Am I going to cause a problem with my presence?" Thomas asked the three fillies as they led him to the library.

"Oh not at all Mr. Thomas, folks around here are just a little cautious of strangers. It actually used to be a lot worse. Normally if somepony new came to town, everypony would lock themselves up in their houses." Apple Bloom explained.

"Plus your with us, so it's all good." Scootaloo added.

"Ah, very well then. And you can just call me Thomas." the Fireman corrected.

Thomas just realized that two of his new companions had strange appendages that he hadn't really noticed until now.

"Hey, why do you have a horn and you have wings?" he asked, addressing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo respectively.

"Oh! I forgot your not from here. I'm a unicorn and she's a pegasus. I can use my horn to do magic....umm....eventually, and Scootaloo can fly....eventually." Sweetie Belle informed, slightly embarrassed.

"Wow, that's.....interesting." Thomas muttered. He honestly wasn't surprised. After defeating wooden wolves and a dragon, there wasn't much else this world could throw at him that would cause him to scratch his head.

"Why do these ponies all have brands on their flanks?" the Fireman asked curiously.

"Brands? You mean cutie marks? Everypony gets a cutie mark eventually; it shows what their special talent is." Apple Bloom explained.

The Fireman burst into laughter. "Your joking right? That has got to be the most...." he quickly shut up when he received a nasty look from the young pony. "Uh never mind, so where are yours?" he asked.

The three fillies looked down and frowned. "We haven't earned ours yet." Scootaloo admitted.

"Is it that big a deal?" Thomas asked. Jesus, it looked like he had just crushed their spirits to pieces.

"Of course it's a big deal!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "How would you feel if everypony else had a cutie mark and you were the only one who didn't? How would you feel if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon constantly tormented you because of it?"

"Christ! I don't know. I guess I'd be pretty upset?" he suggested, trying to defuse the situation. The last thing he wanted was his only allies in this world angry with him.

Suddenly a white unicorn with purple hair ran up to Thomas and the fillies, who had stopped walking and were now standing in the middle of the street.

"Sweetie Belle what on earth are you doing? And what is that thing?" she asked, keeping her distance from the Fireman.

"Oh hi Rarity. This is Thomas, he's a human who dresses like a furnace and he can shoot fire!" the filly answered innocently. Thomas was getting a little annoyed with the whole "furnace" bit.

"Oh and you brought him into town I see." Rarity said, smiling. Thomas could tell it was a fake smile that she put on in some attempt not to offend the Fireman, which he found mildly amusing.

"Well yeah, he saved our lives a little while ago!" Scootaloo explained.

"Oh, and how's that?" the older unicorn inquired.

"We would have been timberwolf bait if it wasn't for him. He even saved us from a dragon! It was flying at us, but then Thomas shielded us from its fire breath. Then he jumped on it and slammed it right into a boulder!" Sweetie Belle beamed as she hopped up and down.

"Is that true? Sweetie Belle, you know you shouldn't be going too far out of town by yourselves. Thank Celestia none of you are hurt!" Rarity scolded. She approached the Fireman "Well....Thomas you have my thanks for saving my sister and her friends."

"It was no trouble." he responded modestly.

"We were just taking him to the library to see Twilight. Do you know if she's in town?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I believe she is, but why do you need her?" Rarity asked quizzically.

"Thomas isn't from this world, so we were gonna ask Twilight if she knew how to send him back." Scootaloo explained.

Rarity looked at the group skeptically. After a few moments she concluded that they weren't in fact pulling her leg.

"Oh, well this is a lot to take in. I'd like to go with you and see Twilight as well. I haven't got much else to do anyway." she decided.

The five then continued on to the library, which was only another minute or two away. Rarity knocked on the door and then stepped back.

"The Golden Oaks Library" Thomas muttered, reading the sign. "Is this a real tree?" he asked, looking at the wooden structure.

"Of course it is, darling. This library has a large variety of books that have proven quite useful over the years. I'm sure whatever your looking for is in here somewhere, and if it isn't then Twilight will know where to look elsewhere." Rarity responded.

After a moment, the door opened and a small purple lizard stood at the threshold.

"Hello Spike, you look well." Rarity greeted.

"Oh hey Rarity. Yeah, I got to sleep in today, for once." Spike responded.

"Is Twilight home?" the unicorn asked.

"Yeah she's downstairs looking into something, but come on in and I'll see if she has a minute." the lizard offered, though it seemed like the invitation was made directly to Rarity and no one else. In fact, Thomas was certain the creature didn't even look his way the entire time.

"Um Spike? This is Thomas, he's....well he's not from this world." Rarity said, trying to convince herself of what she was saying.

"Oh uh, hi there. N-nice to meet you." Spike stuttered, a little taken aback by Thomas' appearance.

"Hello yourself." the Fireman grunted. He put a hand up to his welder's mask and sneezed, blasting a small wave of fire that fanned out and then dissipated harmlessly. This caused both Spike and Rarity to jump in surprise, which gave Thomas a good laugh.

Spike cautiously went downstairs as Thomas and the others looked around the room. He studied a few books that caught his eye. Anatomy of a Hydra, Courtship Behaviors of The Chimera , and Safely Observing a Cockatrice were just a few that stood out.

"Wow, this Twilight character sure likes the mythology genre, huh." Thomas inferred.

"What? Thomas, those are all zoology books." Apple Bloom said, walking over to him.

Thomas chuckled a bit. "What are you talking about? These books speak of mythical creatures, not animals." he assured.

"But those are real animals." Scootaloo pressed.

Thomas stopped laughing. "Your telling me that all of those creatures actually exist in this world?" he asked.

The four ponies nodded in unison.

"Oh, for the love of God..." the Fireman sighed. "And was that another dragon?" he asked, gesturing to where Spike had been standing.

"Yeah, but Spike isn't like normal dragons." Scootaloo assured. "He's really nice and helpful."

"Plus he's just a baby dragon." Sweetie Belle chimed in.

Thomas just shook his head in response. He'd like to see this place in the future when that thing is fully grown.

Hoofsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, as well as a conversation.

"Look Spike, I'm sure whatever it is has been around for a long time. Just because you've never seen it before, doesn't mean it's from a different world." he heard a voice say.

The dragon came back upstairs accompanied by a pony, but this pony was different in that it had both wings and a horn. Something about her also looked more....regal than the other ponies he'd seen. The crown was an obvious indicator.

The alicorn stopped mid-step when she saw the unfamiliar creature standing in the room. Spike laughed at her reaction.

"Told you so." he remarked.

"Hello Twilight. This is...." Rarity began, but was quickly cut off by Twilight's squeal. The princess ran over to the surprised Fireman and began looking him over.

"Oh my gosh! An undiscovered creature? This is amazing! Does it speak? Can it understand me? What's it wearing? Oh I have so many questions!" she said excitedly.

"Uhh...Twi?" Apple Bloom asked trying to get her attention. The alicorn realized her sudden break from character and quickly regained her composure.

"Um hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle." she said in her most formal tone. "And who might you be?"

"The names Thomas, Thomas Miller." the Fireman responded. "I was told you might be able to help me return to my own world." he explained a bit impatiently.

Twilight gave a confused look over to Spike, who simply shrugged in response. "So, you really are from another world?" she asked curiously.

"Last time I checked." Thomas answered sarcastically.

This wasn't off to a good start. If the apparent "all knowing" pony had a hard time believing he wasn't from this world, then how could she even begin to know how to send him back? The chance of a book in here having what he needed was an optimistic fantasy at best, and meanwhile, Columbia was in the middle of a civil war and the city's only hope was being led astray by the cursed false shepherd. Thinking about the situation got Thomas' blood boiling. He clenched his fists in an attempt to remain calm.

Suddenly, the library door flew open and two more ponies stormed in.

"Apple Bloom! What's this I'm hearin about you paradin through town with a walkin talkin furnace?" one of the ponies yelled.

Thomas turned to the new arrivals. "For the last time. I am not A FURNACE!!!" he screamed, his anger finally getting the better of him. The Fireman's armor heated up and flames began emanating from various points on his body. Steam escaped the pipe mounted on his back, causing a high-pitched whistling sound. He may have been one of the more level-headed Firemen in Comstock's military, but Thomas was still a flame-throwing juggernaut at heart, and he had a temper to match.

When Thomas cooled down, he noticed that the library's occupants had moved a good distance away. They all had concerned looks on their faces except for the orange pony in the cowboy hat and the rainbow maned pegasus, who now stood defensively in front of the Fireman.

"Uhh, just letting off some steam." Thomas joked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his helmet. He had the distinct feeling he was going to be here longer than he hoped.

Chapter 3: A Burning Passion

"Okay Applejack, you go left and I'll go right. If we go in together, we can easily take this thing out and send it packing." Rainbow Dash suggested. The two stood fast against the strange armored opponent in the Golden Oaks Library.

"I dunno Rainbow, this thing looks tough and I don't want the fillies gettin hurt if we can't take it down fast enough." Applejack replied.

Thomas couldn't help but laugh as the two spoke. Did they really think they had a chance against him? They didn't even have any weapons on them. He figured they would just try bucking him into submission, and the thought of that made him laugh even harder. He bent over as his gut began to hurt.

"And what are you laughing at!?" Rainbow Dash demanded, taking a step toward the Fireman.

"Well to be honest, I never imagined I'd be in a situation where I was 'threatened' by a couple of talking ponies." he stopped laughing for a moment to catch his breath. "But no, clearly you two would be more than a match for me if you took me on together." he barely finished the thought before exploding into another laughing spell.

Rainbow Dash's anger began to rise as the Fireman continued to insult her every time he opened his mouth. She was a proud pony, and no stranger was going to sit there, laugh at her, and get away with it.

"Keep laughing and I'll kick your lungs in!" she threatened in as harsh a tone as she could muster. She took another step toward the Fireman.

"Rainbow Dash, this is not the time for your petty remarks!" Rarity scolded, trying to calm everyone down.

"Are you kidding me Rarity? You saw what it did! This thing is dangerous and needs to be stopped." Rainbow Dash countered.

"Well you're right about one thing, pony." Thomas said as he stood up straight and began tossing a fire grenade up and down in his hand. "I am one dangerous son-of-a-bitch, and if you want to see just how angry I can get, then you just keep on stepping closer." he warned.

The games were over now and he needed results. This was a waste of time; he saw that now. If the Fireman wanted to get back to Columbia, it looked like he would have to fall back on his old tactics. Namely burning everything to the ground and sifting through the ashes that remained.

"Both of you stop it!" a new voice chimed in. Both Thomas and Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight, who had teleported between the two, ready to intervene if necessary. Thomas would have to remember to ask the alicorn how she did that, if he didn't burn her to a crisp first.

"There's no need for violence, Rainbow Dash. This creature is a guest here and has done nothing to harm anypony." the princess continued.

"Plus he saved our flanks twice over!" Apple Bloom added.

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, trying to come up with some sort of argument, before finally yielding.

"Fine, but don't blame me if it burns down the whole town." the pegasus huffed.

"Well pat yourself on the back, because you may have just stopped that from happening." the Fireman retorted, extinguishing his grenade.

He could easily go full meltdown and disintegrate the whole lot of them right now, but then he'd just be back at square one, and if Twilight was willing to cooperate, then he figured pursuing this avenue first couldn't hurt. Plus he was starting to develop a soft spot for the three fillies he'd saved; something the Fireman would never openly admit, not even to himself.

Twilight turned to Thomas and addressed him directly. "So you are not from this world, is that correct?" she asked, wanting clarity.

"Correct. I was sent here by another of my kind; a girl who possesses powers I can't even begin to understand. She opened a portal that dropped me into this dandy little children's book of a world." the Fireman harshly explained.

The alicorn simply closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a brief moment of thinking, she quickly turned to her dragon assistant.

"Spike, grab me a quill and some parchment. I need to write to Princess Celestia and inform her of the situation." she ordered.

Spike nodded and quickly ran to the second floor. Twilight then turned back to the Fireman.

"I'm sure the princess will want to come to Ponyville and meet you personally. I'm sorry to say that there aren't any books in this library, or any library for that matter, that will be able to shed any light on the concept of travelling between worlds. Fortunately, Princess Celestia has been around for a very long time. If she doesn't know the best way to proceed, then no one does." the alicorn explained.

Thomas sighed. "And how long do you suppose it will take this princess of yours to get here?"

"Once I send the letter, it shouldn't take more than a day." Twilight replied. "In the mean time, would you like to take that armor off and grab some lunch? I'm sure you must be famished." she offered.

The Fireman considered the proposal. He hadn't eaten anything all day, and now that the subject of food came up, he could feel the familiar emptiness of hunger in his stomach, which became apparent to everyone else when it began growling.

Twilight smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

Thomas simply nodded, and was then directed to a guest room to change. While he began the annoying process of removing his armor, the ponies began talking among themselves.

"And just what the hay are we suppose to do while we wait for the princess to come?" Applejack asked Twilight. "Who knows what that thing looks like underneath that suit? We can't have it walkin round town and scarin everypony half to death!"

"Applejack's right. We have to keep it in the library until we can do something about it." Rainbow Dash agreed.

"Are none of you listening to us?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Thomas saved our lives and hasn't done anything 'harmful' since we brought him into town. Sure he kind of got mad when you called him a furnace, but that's just because he isn't one."

"You three should leave now, I don't want you around this thing anymore." Applejack ordered.

"No way!" Apple Bloom argued. "He's our friend, and we aren't gonna leave him alone."

"Yeah well we'll see about that when it comes back out without the armor on. I bet the thing is hideous; you three'll probably scream and run away when you see it." Rainbow Dash smirked.

"Will not!" Scootaloo defended.

"Will too." the pegasus smugly countered.

"Will not."

"Will too."

"Will not."

"Will...."

Rainbow Dash was interrupted by a cough coming from the other side of the room. Everypony turned to see Thomas standing by the entrance of the guest room. The Fireman had taken off everything except for a white t-shirt and overalls that he wore underneath his armor. He was a handsome, tough looking man in his mid-thirties with a clean shaven face, jet black hair and brown eyes.

"So.." he started, with a voice that, without the distorting helmet, sounded much easier on the ears. "Where are we going for lunch?"

* * *

Scorn walked over to the tied up stallion that had wandered into his camp that morning. He grabbed an iron rod out of a nearby fireplace and held the red hot tip close to the captive's eye. The stallion whimpered in fear as he tried his best to move away from the rod.

"Now I want you to tell me real slowly what you saw before you blundered into our camp." the bandit leader commanded.

"I told you! I saw this weird looking creature fighting a giant dragon. I thought the thing was toast, but then it started using fire and smoke to take the dragon down, then the dragon flew away. Now please, for the love of Celestia let me go!" the colt pleaded.

Scorn brought the rod close to the stallion's face one final time, before throwing it into a bucket of water. A cloud of steam rose up with a sizzle, which could be heard along with the captive's sigh of relief.

"Alright, I'll let ya go just as soon as you tell me where this thing was headed last time you saw it." he offered.

"Yes, Ponyville! It was headed there with three fillies!" the stallion said eagerly.

"Three fillies huh?" Scorn pondered. He nodded to two of his subordinates who had been watching from the other side of the large tent. They promptly lifted the captive and took him to the exit.

"Make sure you treat that one real nice." the the bandit leader jested. He wondered how long it would take the stallion to realize he wasn't leaving the camp alive. After all, Scorn had to feed his pet something, and hay just wasn't going to cut it.

He looked down at a map of Equestria spread out on a wooden table.

"Ponyville eh?" the earth pony said as a grin formed on his face. He grabbed a spear out of a nearby weapons chest and examined it, admiring the sharpness of the tip. "Well I guess it's time to pay that little town a visit."

* * *

"You don't have anything with meat!?" Thomas asked as he looked over the menu.

"Certainly not sir! What kind of establishment do you think this is?" the server pony asked, almost offended.

"What's this? Peanut butter and jelly? What kind of twisted combination is that?" the Fireman demanded as he saw the PB&J sandwich on the menu. "Mixing salty and sweet together? It's blasphemy!"

"Oh will you just pick something already?" Rainbow Dash snapped from the other side of the table. They had been sitting there for fifteen minutes waiting for Thomas to make a decision.

"Give me the PB&J sandwich." the Fireman mumbled, reluctantly.

"Very well, sir." the waiter replied, taking his menu and bowing to Twilight before going back inside the restaurant.

Thomas was sitting at an outside table of the establishment with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sitting on either side. They were joined by Scootaloo, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike.

The group sat at the table in an awkward silence. A few of the ponies were having conversations while Thomas began burning a hole through a napkin with his index finger.

"How do you do that?" Rarity inquired, seeing the flame harmlessly burn on the Fireman's hand.

"Well I couldn't tell you exactly how it works. The egg heads from my world made these things called vigors that grant the user special powers, like the ability to create and manipulate fire. This one is called Devil's Kiss." he explained.

"Oh, so it doesn't have anything to do with magic?" Twilight asked.

"No, it has more to do with genetic augmentation, but I really don't know the specifics. All I know is that when I drank a bottle of the stuff, I could suddenly light myself on fire and it didn't kill me." he said smiling.

"So does everyone have these powers in your world?" Rainbow Dash asked, admittedly interested.

"No, only people in Columbia use vigors. Most people use them recreationally, but some people like me are trained to use a specific vigor for combat purposes." he informed.

"Columbia?" Applejack asked quizzically. Thomas smiled as he was about to wow the ponies with good o'l American ingenuity.

"Columbia is an amazing city that was constructed by America, which is the greatest nation in the world. But the kicker is that the city floats in the sky like a cloud!" he beamed, expecting to hear gasps from the ponies. However, they simply sat and stared, as if wondering what the big deal was.

"The city floats." he repeated, wondering if they'd heard him.

"And?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Does that not impress you?" the Fireman asked, a little cautiously.

"Well Thomas, we also have a floating city called Cloudsdale, which is actually made up of clouds." Twilight explained.

Thomas slouched in his seat and hung his head, defeated. He didn't anticipate this place would be so bizarre as to have a city made out of clouds, but in hindsight he probably should have seen that coming.

"So why did this girl send you here in the first place?" Apple Bloom asked.

Thomas didn't answer right away. He wasn't going to sit there and tell these ponies every detail about his plight. Maybe he would if he thought that the possession of such knowledge would assist them in helping him get back home, but he could'n't see how that would be the case.

"It's complicated." he finally said, hoping they wouldn't pursue the matter any further.

Luckily, they didn't get a chance as the waiter arrived with everyone's meal. Thomas looked at his sandwich suspiciously as he investigated the food item.

"Pfft, peanut butter and jelly. What idiot came up with that ridiculous idea?." he asked himself in a low tone. The Fireman took a cautious bite of the sandwich, chewed and swallowed.

"Oh my God...." he said as the full flavor of the sandwich graced his taste buds. He took another bite to confirm that the first one wasn't an anomaly.

"Dammit." he muttered as he realized the sandwich was delicious. He quickly scarfed down the remainder of it and then chugged the glass of milk that was sitting next to his plate.

He looked at the ponies, who were giving him strange looks. None of them had even touched their food yet.

"Umm....it was....pretty good." he admitted.

"So Thomas, do you have any family in this floating city?" Twilight asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"A brother." the Fireman replied. "He's actually the reason I got into Columbia in the first place."

"Why? Is it an exclusive place or something?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Kind of. Something happened in the past that caused the city to become more....independent. Call it a disagreement between Columbia and America." the Fireman responded, trying not to get too detailed about Columbia's dark past.

Suddenly, Thomas heard screaming coming from another part of town. The group looked around to see ponies running away from some unseen threat.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked a fleeing mare.

"BANDITS!!!" she screamed as she continued to run.

As if on cue, a group of sinister looking ponies rounded a corner of one of the buildings. They carried spears at the ready as they continued to chase the town's inhabitants away. A few of the bandits threw spears in Thomas' direction; some barely missing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and another impaling the chair right between the Fireman's legs.

"That was a mistake!" Thomas yelled as he grabbed the spear and held it in his hand, quickly covering the weapon with a fiery aura and whipping it back at the throwers. The spear struck one of the bandits' legs and he was instantly consumed with fire. Nearby bandits immediately jumped away from their screaming compatriot; not attempting to aid him, but instead grabbing more spears to throw.

As more bandits entered the market square, Applejack quickly ordered her sister and the other two fillies to go with the rest of the townsponies. There was no objection as the three quickly moved out of harm's way.

Thomas watched as they followed other fleeing ponies out of the marketplace. When he was sure they were safe, he turned back to the attackers just as more spears came raining down.

Chapter 4: The Heat of Battle

"Pinkie Pie, it's alright that you didn't bring more cupcakes. I mean it's just the two of us out here anyway." Fluttershy spoke softly.

"But Fluttershy, you only had one, and now their all gone!" Pinkie replied in a frantic tone.

"Yeah that is a bit sad, considering you brought twelve." the pegasus giggled.

"I know, I skipped breakfast today. I told myself I wasn't gonna fill up on cupcakes, but then I ate one and it was just so good that I ate another one, and then I ate nine more!" the pink pony admitted.

"We still have plenty of biscuits left, plus the tea, so there's nothing to worry about." Fluttershy reassured.

The two friends were having a picnic next to Fluttershy's cottage. It had been an admittedly slow day, with nothing exciting going on, so it was the perfect time for them to kick back and enjoy each other's company.

"Did you want more tea Pinkie Pie?.......Pinkie Pie?" the yellow pegasus turned to Pinkie to see her friend shaking frantically. The earth pony began moving side to side as she struggled to control the spasm.

"What is it Pinkie?" Fluttershy inquired.

"I dunno, but I feel like we really really really need to get back to Ponyville. Like right now!" Pinkie said, still shaking slightly.

"But what about the picnic?" Fluttershy asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I think this is a bit more important." Pinkie responded.

"Well, okay then. Goodness, I hope everything is alrighahhhhhhhh!" without warning Pinkie Pie grabbed the surprised pegasus and bolted toward town.

* * *

So what did we learn today, Thomas? Oh yes, maybe to never take off your armor after being transported to a strange alien world filled with goddamn mythical creatures! a voice in the back of the Fireman's mind scolded as he watched the spears arc up and then descend on him and the ponies.

Thomas put his arms up defensively and closed his eyes, praying for a miracle and waiting for the pain of getting skewered a dozen times, but the spear heads never connected. He opened his eyes and saw that the incoming spears had harmlessly bounced off some sort of barrier that formed right in front of him.

The Fireman turned to see Twilight's horn lighting up, casting a protective orb around the group. Once the final spear had struck, the light around her horn faded and the shield disappeared.

"Stay behind cover!" the alicorn princess instructed.

"Like hell! You clearly don't know who your talking to." Thomas scoffed. Firemen weren't trained to sit behind cover, they always charged head first at their foes, and even though he didn't have armor on, he wasn't about to deviate from his normal routine.

The Fireman noticed the bandits getting ready to throw another barrage of spears, but wasn't about to give them the opportunity. Instinctively, he ran toward the closest group of thugs and went to work.

The bandits noticed the charging Fireman and quickly pointed their spears at him, ready to thrust forward when he got close enough, but the Fireman stopped just short of them and formed a fire grenade in his hand.

"Catch." Thomas said, tossing the fire ball into the air. It landed right in the middle of the confused group of ponies, who started backing away from the burning object, but not far enough to escape its blast radius. The grenade detonated, causing a large explosion of hell fire that consumed the bandits in a massive inferno.

Thomas stood there for a moment, admiring the bonfire he'd made, before shifting his attention to another group of bandits. They were shocked by his abilities, but not enough to deter them from fighting. Several of the bandits ran at the Fireman, various weapons in hoof.

"Have it your way." he shrugged as he covered his arms in fire and ran to meet the thugs halfway. The first pony he reached jabbed at him with a spear, which the Fireman easily dodged. Not having armor on allowed him to move much faster. Before the bandit could recover, Thomas grabbed hold of the spear, heating it up and causing the pony to let go from the burning pain. He then flipped the spear around and slammed it against the pony's head with a crack. The Fireman dropped the spear as another bandit came up from behind and struck him with a club, which caused a wave of fire to radiate from his body, roasting all of the nearby assailants.

Onlooking bandits began to slowly back away from the burning Fireman, realizing that close combat wouldn't work out in their favor. Thomas looked down and noticed the large club lying on the ground, a bit charred but otherwise intact. A smirk appeared on his face as he got an idea, and while the bandits got their throwing spears ready, the Fireman grabbed the club and formed a particularly powerful fire ball in his hand.

"Batter up!" Thomas shouted as he pitched the flaming ball to himself and swung the club as hard as he could. The club connected with the grenade and sent it flying at a large group of the bandits, who attempted to jump out of the way, but were ultimately caught in the resulting blast. The Fireman frowned at the now broken club, casually tossing it aside and throwing a few more grenades for good measure. The remaining thugs fled the market square, running past the charred remains of their fallen companions and dodging incoming fireballs.

"Bring in the Riveter!" he heard one of the fleeing bandits yell. He didn't like the sound of that, but the Fireman stood his ground, waiting for whatever trick the bandits would try next. Surprisingly, only a single bandit reentered the market square, a unicorn that looked much tougher than the others. The stallion wheeled in a large object that was covered by a cloth.

"So why do they call that the Riveter?" Thomas asked cockily, pointing at the concealed device. The unicorn simply snickered as he removed the cloth and revealed a large weapon with a magazine of steel bolts being fed through the top. The barrel was pointed directly at the Fireman as the stallion used his magic to activate the machine.

"Oh shit!" he yelled as the weapon began firing its deadly ammunition. The Fireman quickly jumped behind a stack of crates as they were riddled with steel bolts. Sure Thomas didn't care for taking cover, but that didn't mean he was suicidal. He formed a sizable grenade and tossed it over the crates, but the unicorn quickly caught the projectile with his magic and tossed it away. The Fireman cursed under his breath and made two more fire balls, throwing them at the same time. Once again the unicorn caught both and tossed them to the side, laughing as he aimed the Riveter at the crates and waited for Thomas to make a move. After a brief moment of thinking, the Fireman decided on a strategy.

"Let's see how good that pony is at multitasking." the Fireman thought out loud as he charged up one hand and made one final grenade with the other. He tossed the grenade at the unicorn, and as the stallion caught it, Thomas moved out of cover and sprinted toward the distracted pony. Before the bandit could react, the Fireman covered his fist in flames and punched the unicorn hard in the jaw. The charged uppercut sent the doomed stallion flying up in the air, with only ashes floating back down.

Thomas extinguished his hand and examined it, making sure he didn't break a knuckle.

"Not too shabby, huh?" the Fireman boasted. He turned back to Twilight and the other ponies just as Rainbow Dash bucked him hard in the face. He went down with a thud, almost losing consciousness, as the blue pegasus began to shout.

"You killed them. You murdered them. You.....slaughtered them!" she screamed at the recovering Fireman. "How could you do something like that? You're a monster!" tears began welling up in her eyes.

"Are you crazy? What the hell do you think they were doing? Did you not see the spears they were throwing or the fact that they almost skewered Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle? They were trying to kill us!" Thomas shouted back. He rubbed his jaw, which was pulsating with pain from where the pony had struck him.

"I saved your lives by taking theirs!" he defended, spitting blood from his mouth. Rainbow started flying towards the Fireman to continue her assault, but was quickly stopped by Twilight, who grabbed her tail with magic.

"That's enough Rainbow Dash!" she commanded. The pegasus looked at the princess before screaming at the top of her lungs and flying away.

"Rainbow Dash wait!" Applejack called out after her, but the rainbow maned pony kept flying. Thomas got to his feet and spat out another glob of blood. Rarity seemed to still be in shock from the carnage she'd just witnessed, but Twilight, Applejack, and Spike walked over to the Fireman.

"I'm sorry about that. I know you were just protecting us and doing what you needed to. It's just that it was....very upsetting to witness." Twilight apologized, but Thomas just shrugged her off and headed back towards the library.

"Wh-what do we do now?" Applejack asked the alicorn. Twilight continued to watch Thomas as he walked away.

"Make sure Rarity is alright. I'm gonna go make sure everypony's safe." she instructed. Applejack and Spike gave a slight nod and tended to their shell shocked friend, while Twilight gave the Fireman one last concerned look before flying toward the direction the townsponies had fled.

* * *

Thomas kicked in the door to the library. He was still rubbing his jaw as the stinging pain filled him with more anger. He needed his armor. That was the last time he would get caught off guard in this God forsaken place. As the Fireman looked around, he noticed something troubling. All of the books were strewn about the floor, tables and chairs had been knocked over, and windows were broken. The place had obviously been ransacked.

"Great, looks like some of those bandits were looking through here." he felt a wave of fear as he remembered that his suit was in here as well.

"Oh God, no!" Thomas exclaimed as he ran to the guest room. He felt his heart sink when he realized the armor was nowhere to be found. This was a shattering revelation not only because the armor held most of his salts, but also because it contained something that all Firemen carried with them at all times; something that he would never need to use himself, but always kept close. Thomas kicked himself as he realized whoever took his suit of armor now also possessed his spare bottle of Devil's Kiss.

* * *

It didn't take long for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy to reach Ponyville, but before they reached the town itself, they were stopped by the site of practically everypony standing out in a field.

"Hey, why is everypony out here?" Pinkie asked nopony in particular.

"Bandits attacked the town a little while ago." she heard a voice answer. The pink pony turned to see the mayor standing among the crowd.

"b-b-bandits?" Fluttershy asked as fear grasped the pegasus.

"I'm afraid so. They attacked the town and drove us out. Princess Twilight stayed behind with several others, including a stranger that came to town." the mayor explained.

"Are they okay?" Pinkie asked frantically.

"I hope so. We've been hearing a lot of commotion coming from the market square, but nopony has gone to investigate. None of us would be much good in a fight." the mare said in shame.

Pinkie Pie turned back to Fluttershy. "Come on! We have to get in there!" she said, once again grabbing the pegasus and running to town. She didn't make it far however, as Twilight came into view.

"Twilight! Thank Celestia you're okay!" Pinkie exclaimed. A wave of relieved sighs overtook the crowd of ponies.

"Is everypony alright?" Twilight asked with concern. Unanimous nods came from everypony as they'd all made it out safely. The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly ran to the front of the crowd.

"Twilight, is everypony okay? Where are they?" the three fillies asked.

"Everypony's fine you three, don't worry." she assured. Ponies began making their way back to town, but Twilight quickly stopped the advance.

"Hold on, I need some strong stallions to help clean up a mess before everypony returns to town." the princess explained. She didn't want everypony to see what was left of the bandits in the marketplace.

Big Macintosh and a few other stallions volunteered for the job.

"Okay, everypony else stay here until I give the all clear." Twilight instructed. She then lead the stallions, along with Pinkie and Fluttershy, back to town.

* * *

Scorn looked at his prize with joyous regard. The suit of armor was unlike anything he'd seen before. The bandit leader had already ordered his most talented Black Smith to forge a copy of the armor; something that would be fit for a pony such as himself.

Scorn's second-in-command walked into the tent, patiently waiting for his leader to acknowledge him.

"What is it, Light Streak?" the leader asked, not taking his eyes off the armor.

"Well sir, I just wanted to inform you that we lost sixteen ponies during today's raid on Ponyville." the pegasus informed grimly.

"Well that's unfortunate." Scorn replied halfheartedly, still captivated by his prize. Light Streak shot the earth pony a dirty look; something he would never dream of doing unless his leader's back was turned. Suddenly, a loud roar could be heard throughout the camp.

"Sounds like my pet is hungry again. Go feed it will you?" the leader requested, his back still turned.

"But sir, we're all out of meat." Light Streak replied.

"Tell me something Light Streak, how many ponies do we have left after the Ponyville raid?" Scorn inquired.

The pegasus eyed him cautiously. "Twenty-three."

Scorn turned to the stallion. "Well I guess we haven't run out of meat then, have we?"

Light Streak felt a mixture of shock and disgust, but the pegasus merely nodded and left the tent, unwilling to challenge the bandit leader.

Scorn turned back to the armor and began investigating it, convinced that more secrets could be discovered if he looked a bit deeper....

* * *

Twilight was about to head into the Golden Oaks Library. She'd set the stallions to work in the marketplace, where they reluctantly began cleaning up the burned remains, and was now going to check on Thomas. Before she could open the door however, the Fireman stormed out of the library and put his hands through his hair, clearly upset.

"What's the matter?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Those damn bandits took my armor while we were distracted." the Fireman spat. "And now I'm going to go burn their camp down and get it back."

"You can't!" the princess pleaded. "They'll kill you if you walk into their camp alone."

The Fireman gave her a quizzical look. "Were you not watching what I did to them back there?"

"Yes, but now they'll be ready for you. I'm sure they have other weapons and more ponies." the alicorn insisted.

"Listen, I'm going to their camp and I'm going to get my suit back. End of story." he stated. There was no convincing him to do otherwise. Twilight thought for a moment. She couldn't let this man walk off to his death.

"Fine, I understand. I'll tell you what. Stay here tonight so I can get the town situated, and then I'll go with you tomorrow to reclaim your property." the princess offered. The Fireman laughed.

"And just why should I wait for you?" he inquired.

"Maybe you've forgotten, but I saved your life back there with that shield spell. You'll need me if you want to get out of that camp alive." Twilight explained.

Thomas thought about that. She did keep him from becoming a shishkebab, and he had used up a lot of salts in that last fight, so he would have to use his powers more sparingly until his armor was back on. He supposed having some backup wouldn't hurt.

"Fine." he finally said. "We'll go first thing in the morning."

Twilight nodded. "Very well. You can sleep in the guest bedroom tonight, and tomorrow we'll head out."

"Agreed." the Fireman said. He could probably use a good rest anyway and he needed time to clear his head.

"Hey Twilight, what's that thing?" Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced over with Fluttershy following close behind.

"Oh God give me strength." Thomas muttered, shaking his head. The Fireman didn't feel like meeting anymore ponies today.

Chapter 5: Out of the Frying Pan....

Thomas looked up at the moon silently as he sat on the balcony of the library. The sky was completely clear, with the exception of a few small clouds dotting the star lit canvas. One of the many things the Fireman loved about Columbia was that it would often be higher than most clouds, making the moon and stars visible just about every night. He always made it a point to climb to the tallest structure he could find just to get the best view of the sky and surrounding city. Something about the view just seemed to put his troubled mind at ease.

Some nights he would even see the Song Bird glide across his view, its strange and distinct howl always attracting onlookers. Thomas occasionally wondered why Comstock had need for such a creature, but now with Elizabeth taken and DeWitt likely causing havoc in the city, he was less inclined to ask that question.

The Fireman went through the day's events in his mind. After the mess with those bandits, he had been introduced to two more of Twilight's friends. Pinkie Pie didn't have to say much before Thomas got annoyed. Her voice was the sort that just struck a bad chord with the Fireman and when she learned about his fire wielding abilities, it made her almost unbearable. The pink earth pony constantly asked him to help her bake treats for the "Thanks for saving Ponyville" party she wanted to throw him, but eventually Thomas was able to quiet her down by agreeing to the party once he had reclaimed his stolen property; an easy promise to make considering he wasn't planning on sticking around very long once the princess arrived.

The other mare, Fluttershy, was much easier to be around than her confetti throwing companion. The yellow pegasus was about as enthusiastic to start up a conversation as he was, but eventually the two made a bit of small talk. She apparently took care of animals at her cottage next to the Everfree Forest, which was home to many of the strange creatures he'd read about in the library. Thomas didn't know how such a shy pony could stand living near a dangerous place like that, but he supposed it made sense considering she probably didn't have to deal with visitors very often.

After the introductions had been made, the Fireman helped the ponies clean up the market square before retiring to his guest room for the evening. Thomas tried sleeping for an hour, but his mind kept thinking back to all of the problems he was dealing with: like being stuck in a different world, his armor and salts being stolen, and the fact that Columbia was under threat of destruction from a civil war and a visit from the false shepherd.

At around midnight, the Fireman finally gave up on sleep and went out to the balcony to think about things and get his head straight. He could hear the crickets chirping and a slight breeze rustling the nearby tree branches.

"Mind if I join you?" he heard a voice ask. Thomas turned to see Twilight standing at the doorway leading back into the library. The Fireman simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to admire the evening scenery.

Twilight took that as a "no" and walked out onto the balcony, sitting next to the Fireman and quietly looking up at the stars with him. The two sat in silence at first, just staring at the sky.

"They're beautiful aren't they?" the princess finally commented. Like Thomas, she too enjoyed star gazing.

"Yes they are." he replied, slowly warming up to her presence.

"Is this sky similar to your world's?" the alicorn inquired.

Thomas nodded. "Almost a spitting image." he admitted, grateful for this fact. "So do you really think this princess is gonna know how to send me home?"

"I honestly don't know." Twilight responded, shaking her head. "But she's the only pony I can think of that would even have the slightest idea."

Thomas had figured as much. He didn't know how anyone here would be able to help him when not even Comstock knew the full extent of his daughter's powers. Why else would the Prophet keep her locked up in that tower under constant guard by a giant mechanical bird? The Fireman had a feeling no one would know how to send him back, if that was even possible.

"So you mentioned you had a brother?" Twilight asked, sensing the Fireman's troubled thoughts and attempting to change the subject.

"Yeah, an older brother. He helped me get into Columbia about half a year ago." Thomas repeated.

"So does he have powers like you?"

"Yes, but not Devil's Kiss. My brother is part of an order. He specializes in a different vigor that allows him to....." Thomas cut himself off. He had to think about the answer to such a simple question, but he truly didn't understand his brother's abilities. Murder of Crows, was a well known vigor, but the way his brother used it, the way he'd mastered it. Before Thomas had even gotten to Columbia, his brother had joined a strange group called The Fraternal Order of the Raven. It was a bunch of nuts in the Fireman's eyes, dressing up in strange robes and carrying coffins on their backs, but his brother had quickly climbed their ranks and was one of their more elitist members.

He lived with his brother in Columbia, and though their bond as siblings never wavered, Thomas rarely saw his older brother anymore. He was often away doing God only knew what, but regardless, the Fireman's loyalty to him was only rivaled by his loyalty to Comstock and he was sure his brother felt the same way. Thomas began to wonder if his brother had noticed his absence by now. Did time even move the same way across different worlds?

"Thomas?" Twilight asked, concerned.

"Oh sorry. My bother has the ability to control birds, like crows and ravens." the Fireman replied.

"Oh, Fluttershy has a similar ability!" the alicorn said excitedly. Thomas laughed slightly.

Yeah, I'm sure Fluttershy also commands those animals to rip her enemies apart, he thought.

"So why did you go to this floating city in the first place?" she asked.

"I got into some trouble down in the Sodom, er, America." The Fireman replied. "I was a bit of a hot head and would usually get into bad business deals. One time was bit worse than the others and it ended with me on the run from some bad people. One day my brother somehow found me and we talked for a bit. I told him about my troubles and he offered to get me into Columbia."

"I see." the princess responded. "Well judging by your power, I'd say you must be pretty important in your world." she concluded.

The Fireman laughed again. "Not really. Sure I'm a higher rank than the average soldier and Firemen are generally well respected, but I'm still pretty low on the totem pole." he admitted. "No one's gonna miss another soldier who died for the cause, except maybe one person." Thomas said, watching a crow silently make its way across the moonlit sky.

"Well that's unfortunate. Nopony is expendable here. We are all equally valued and unique." Twilight said with a bit of pride. "Our cutie marks don't just display what special talent we possess, but also who we are as a pony, as an individual. We all strive to be the best that we can be and help each other along the way. Happiness is something that must be earned and cannot be granted. The pursuit of that happiness is what drives us forward. And of course with the magic of friendship, this goal is easily achieved."

Thomas didn't respond. He just thought about what she said. Surely this world wasn't as sugar coded as the princess made it out to be. He was sure there was always a darkness in every world, another side of the same coin. The bandits were a testament to that. However, if what Twilight said was true, then this world was much like his own in more ways than the Fireman originally suspected. The pursuit of happiness was one of the founding principles that forged the United States. It acted as a beacon of hope to those who were without. These principles then led Comstock to create Columbia, where people could be free of the oppression of the Sodom below, but does that mean that there is also darkness in Columbia? Could there still be corruption within the floating city that no one noticed, either because it was so well hidden or perhaps because no one wanted to see it? And is it possible that this darkness existed before the false shepherd or the Vox Populi? Maybe even existing in the Prophet himself?

Thomas shook the thought from his head. He hated when his mind started running away with philosophy. Nothing good ever came from a man who had too much free time and not enough work. Best if he just kept his eyes on the prize. He still had to get back to the city he loved and the Prophet he served, and until this Celestia character looked him dead in the face and told him there was no hope of him returning home, the Fireman would continue to fight until that dream became a reality.

"Well I'm gonna hit the hay. You should probably get some shut eye as well, Thomas. I have a feeling it's gonna be a long day tomorrow." Twilight said as she got up and walked back inside.

"Yeah I'll be in soon." Thomas called after her. His heart began racing with a rekindled determination to get his armor back and go back to his own world. If Firemen were known for anything, it was that they never gave up until death's cold hand had them by the throat. He would continue to fight and would never stop until there was nothing left of him but ash. That was his vow to Comstock, to his brother, and to himself.

The Fireman was about to head back inside when the sound of flapping wings followed by a rustling of branches caught his attention. He looked up to see Rainbow Dash in a nearby tree branch. The pegasus wasn't looking at Thomas, but he could tell that she wanted to talk. He continued to look out over Ponyville in silence as the rainbow mare did the same.

Surprisingly to Thomas, he wasn't angry at her for what she did earlier. Normally if someone took a cheap shot at the Fireman and then ran away, they would wake up on fire. For whatever reason, he just didn't feel that kind of hatred, even though he had every reason to.

Both he and Rainbow Dash sat in silence for a few moments longer, until the blue pegasus finally left the branch she was perched on and joined Thomas on the balcony, almost exactly where Twilight had been sitting.

"Hey." she said, a little awkwardly.

"Hey yourself." the Fireman responded casually.

"Look, I don't normally do this, but I wanted to apologize for bucking you like that earlier." Rainbow started. "Twilight was right about you protecting us. I see now that there was no other way out of that mess, but with violence."

"Listen, you don't have to apologize. I can understand you getting upset over seeing that kind of thing for the first time and getting scared. I guess not everyone has the guts to handle seeing what I do." Thomas answered snidely.

Rainbow Dash turned to him. "What'd you say? I have plenty of guts! I'm the bravest pony in Ponyville; maybe even all of Equestria!" she countered.

"Oh? Well you could have fooled me. I mean Iv'e seen kids back home handle that kind of violence, and with a better attitude too." he said, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Oh yeah? Then put em up mister tough guy! I'll show you who the real sissy is!" the pegasus demanded, putting her hooves up.

Thomas started to laugh. "Damn, and I thought us Firemen were hot heads. You should think about coming back with me and joining the regime. You definitely have the attitude for it." he said jokingly.

Rainbow Dash put her hooves down and a smile slowly formed on her face as well. "You think so? I'd probably get promoted to captain on the first day." she responded pridefully.

"Not with me in the ranks. I'm sure you'd settle for captain's lackey." the Fireman retorted. The two laughed together for a while longer, until Rainbow Dash got up and stretched her wings.

"I should probably get going." she said turning back to Thomas one final time. "See you around?"

"I'm sure you will." he answered reassuringly. The pegasus flew off while the Fireman got up to go back inside. As he stood up, Thomas felt something trickle down his nose. He put a hand to his upper lip and then pulled it away, examining his fingers.

Blood? That's weird, I haven't had a bloody nose since I was a kid, the Fireman thought. He quickly went inside to stop the bleeding and get some sleep.

* * *

"Devil's Kiss." Scorn said out loud. He'd read the tag on the bottle about fifteen times. It was filled with a strange liquid that smelled awful to the earth pony, but he had no idea what it could be. The design of the bottle itself was baffling to him as well. It was different shades of red, featuring a strange naked creature on the top. It looked like the demonic creature was blowing fire. Could this be some type of potion that grants incendiary powers to the drinker? Is that where the thing in Ponyville got its abilities from?

Scorn was hesitant to try it. For all he knew it was just poison, but the bandit couldn't let the raid be for nothing, and thus far, the armor hadn't yielded any other treasure. The blue chemical he found was still a mystery to him as well, but he was sure there was a connection between it and this Devil's Kiss.

Light Streak entered the tent as Scorn continued to study the bottle.

"Sir, the ponies are getting restless. They want to go back into Ponyville and finish things with the creature." the pegasus informed.

"Tell the ponies that they will do nothing, unless I have given the order." Scorn replied defensively. Light Streak shook his head.

"With all due respect Scorn. We all think you're becoming a bit....obsessed with the stuff we found in the library. Perhaps we should just be rid of it all, I don't think any good will come of it." Light Streak admitted.

Scorn looked at the pegasus. "Your opinion is noted, Light Streak, but I am not going to just throw this away when it may be the key to my success."

"Success? Those bottles can't bring you success sir, only the trust of your subordinates can. I must advise you to toss out those chemicals." the pegasus repeated.

Scorn didn't like the attitude his second-in-command was giving him. He uncapped the bottle of Devil's Kiss, looking at its contents with curiosity.

"Sir, your not going to drink that are you?" Light Streak asked, noticing his actions.

"Do you know how I got to where I am today, Light Streak? Do you know what it takes to lead a group of cut throats and mercenaries?" the leader inquired.

"Sir?" the pegasus responded, confused.

"Its all about the risks one is willing to take to remain on top." Scorn replied and with that, he tipped his head back and ingested the bottle's contents.

"Scorn no!" Light Streak pleaded, but it was too late. The earth pony stood there for a moment, waiting to see what the consequences of his actions would be, when he suddenly began screaming as his mane and tail caught fire.

The pain was excruciating, like his head was being attacked with a blow torch. Then the pain began to spread, as the fire made its way around his body, not just burning the outside, but internally as well. He could feel his organs as they combusted violently. Scorn looked at his hooves, which were already blackening from the intense flames.

Light Streak looked on in horror as his leader began to disintegrate before his eyes. Skin quickly burned away and exposed inner flesh, which soon followed suit. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments snapped as they were charred and shriveled. Soon the screaming subsided and the only thing that remained of the leader was a flaming skeleton.

The pegasus watched with even greater fear as Scorn began to accumulate before his eyes. The ashes quickly collected unto the bandit's skeleton, changing into something completely new. Fire spat from his body as his very being was shifted into a burning monster that looked like it came straight out of tartarus itself. Smoke billowed from the creature as the final bits of ash took there place and hardened on the newly formed pony.

"Scorn?" Light Streak asked, fear gripping the pegasus.

The creature looked at him through burning eye sockets. Black crust fell from its mouth when it spoke.

"This is why we take risks, Light Streak. This is how I maintain dominance." Scorn said, examining his new form.

He was now entirely black, with deep red cracks running along his outer core. Heat radiated from his very being as fire internally raged throughout his body. The pony's mane and tail were still consumed with fire and the bandit leader laughed as he held a hoof up and formed a fireball.

"This is true power!" he declared, extinguishing the ball of flames and putting his hoof back down.

"Sir, we have to get you cured. There must be a way to reverse the effects!" Light Streak pleaded.

The flaming Stallion turned and looked at his second-in-command with annoyed rage.

"There will be no curing this, you coward! You've always second guessed me Light Streak, disagreeing with me at every turn." he said in anger, the flames surrounding his body growing brighter. "Your weakness and lack of imagination have always been a nuisance to me, but I will not allow you to impede my rise to divinity!"

Light Streak didn't get a chance to respond as Scorn raised a fiery hoof and shot a wave of flames at the still frozen pegasus, who couldn't even scream before the deadly inferno silenced any further objections.

Chapter 6: ....And Into the Hell Fire

After finally stopping the nose bleed, Thomas managed to get a few hours of sleep before Twilight woke him up in the morning. The two of them joined Spike for breakfast before heading out of the library and toward the edge of town.

"So do you have any idea how we're gonna find these bandits?" Thomas inquired.

"What? You're the one who wanted to go out and find them and you don't even have a plan for doing so?" she scolded.

"Well no, but you live here! Don't you have a lay of the land your highness?" the Fireman shot back.

The princess merely shook her head disapprovingly, and then summoned a paper and quill.

"Assume that Thomas would have no idea how to track the bandits and rely on back up plan. Check!" she said as she checked off a box on her list. The paper and quill then disappeared and an owl flew over and landed on the alicorn's extended hoof.

"Let me introduce you to Owlowiscious." Twilight said with a smile. "I had him fly reconnaissance all night in the direction that the bandits fled. He found a camp not too far from here, just inside the Everfree."

"You speak bird?" Thomas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not, but I did have Owlowiscious point out the site on a map of Ponyville and the surrounding areas." she explained.

"Hey you two!" Pinkie Pie yelled, hopping over to the pair with the other Elements of Harmony in tow.

"I'm glad we could catch you two before you left." Rarity said as they reached the two. She seemed to be doing much better than yesterday.

"Are y'all sure you don't want us taggin along?" Applejack asked, clearly concerned.

"I'm positive. Thomas and I will be able to handle anything those bandits throw at us and I'll feel much better with you five out of harm's way." the princess assured.

"I don't like the idea of sitting around here waiting while you guys could be in trouble." Rainbow Dash protested.

"I understand, but I really want you guys here. Plus for all we know, the bandits might come back and I'd rather have some ponies here to lead everypony to safety." Twilight countered.

Rainbow Dash gave a reluctant nod before the group of friends embraced each other.

"Stay safe." Fluttershy said.

"Don'y worry, we'll be fine. If Princess Celestia arrives before we get back, just tell her to wait in the library." the alicorn instructed. After another moment of hugging, Twilight left her friends and rejoined Thomas. The two then headed off down the dirt path toward the Everfree Forest.

* * *

It didn't take long for the duo to reach the location where they would enter the Everfree Forest. Twilight looked at the treeline with hesitation.

"So this place is pretty dangerous, huh?" Thomas asked, noticing her pause.

"Yeah, going into this forest usually results in some disaster happening." she replied.

"Such as?" the Fireman inquired, clearly intrigued. The princess rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Well some of the times I've gone in this forest, I've been attacked by a Manticore, poisoned by an annoying blue plant, turned to stone by a Cockatrice, and chased by a dragon. Timberwolves come out occasionally and hunt ponies, parasprites have pestered us before, and an Ursa Minor almost leveled the town." she finished, catching her breath.

"Wow, you guys are really good at choosing ideal locations to build a town." Thomas responded sarcastically.

Twilight giggled. "Yes well, I suppose nowhere's perfect, and it's not like we have to deal with that kind of stuff all the time. Plus it keeps things interesting." she admitted.

"So how far in is this camp site?"

"Not too far, we'll have to keep our voices down as soon as we enter the forest. I don't want us losing our element of surprise if they aren't expecting us."

"Right. I'll let you lead."

Twilight nodded and began entering the forest with Thomas following close behind. The two didn't have to travel long before the brush and bramble became thick enough to slow their progress.

"You know, I could just start a fire, burn down the camp and surrounding forest, and save us all this heartache. We can just find my armor in the rubble afterwords." The Fireman suggested, freeing himself from a branch that had caught his shirt.

"No! You can't burn down the whole forest just because we have to move a bit slower." Twilight whispered back, shooting Thomas a disapproving look.

"Just a suggestion." he said with a shrug.

The two continued for a while longer, navigating the thick vegetation, when finally Twilight stopped.

"Okay, I think that's their camp in that clearing up ahead." she whispered, looking back at Thomas. A swarm of gnats was hovering around the Fireman's head.

"Aren't those gnats bugging you?" the alicorn asked, noticing the bothersome creatures.

Thomas simply stared at her while his body briefly heated up and the flying insects quickly combusted, falling to the ground as they burned.

"What gnats?" he answered casually. Twilight just raised an eyebrow as the two made their way to the edge of the clearing, being careful to stay near the thickest bushes. They peered out into the opening and saw several tents and crates scattered around. Bandits could be seen in abundance as well. Some were carrying supplies and working while others lounged by a fire pit.

"I count nineteen." Thomas said, adding them up in his head.

"Twenty-one." Twilight corrected, pointing at two more bandits leaving a tent.

Thomas noticed a large pit in the center of the camp. The hole looked huge and the Fireman shuttered to think what it was used for.

"Your armor's most likely to be in that tent." the alicorn said, as she pointed to the largest tent in the camp site.

"Good call." Thomas replied, getting up to charge at the bandits.

"What are you doing?" the princess whispered harshly, grabbing him with a hoof and pulling him back down.

"Do you want to get us killed?" she scolded.

"No, I want to go kill them." the Fireman retorted.

"There's too many to take on at once." Twilight warned. Thomas didn't like it, but she was probably right. He was still low on salts from the previous day and he'd likely run out before roasting the lot of them.

"What do you suggest?" he inquired.

"I'll distract the bandits while you sneak into the tent. Suit up as fast as you can and then come out arms blazing." the princess suggested. Thomas liked the sound of that.

"Okay, that'll work." he agreed.

"Alright, once you hear my distraction, make your way into the tent. I'll try and avoid them as long as I can." Twilight said before moving along the treeline away from the Fireman.

He waited for whatever distraction she had planned and almost laughed when he heard it. The princess began making strange noises that Thomas guessed were supposed to resemble animals. The sounds worked however, as the bandits began investigating the noise, leaving the tent unguarded.

Now's my chance. Thomas thought, silently running over to the large tent while remaining crouched. He slipped through the flaps of the entrance and looked around. To his relief, the tent was empty. The Fireman quickly spotted his armor sitting on a nearby table and gingerly walked over to the suit, but stopped when he saw a blackened body lying on the ground, thin wisps of smoke still rising from the remains. On the ground next to the body was Thomas' spare bottle of Devil's Kiss, uncapped and empty.

"Well, it looks like vigors and ponies don't mix very well." Thomas thought out loud, studying the charred corpse. He quickly got back to the task at hand and began putting his armor on, thankful that all of the pieces were still there.

* * *

Twilight was thankful that her distraction had worked. After watching Thomas sneak into the tent, she silenced herself and promptly backed away from the approaching bandits. Suddenly she walked into something behind her and turned around, looking right at a bandit who'd snuck around her. He smiled as he took a step towards the startled pony.

The alicorn quickly teleported into the middle of the camp, which resulted in getting spotted by the bandits who had just reached the treeline.

"Well looky here. We got us a visit from a princess." one of the bandits said mockingly.

"Hey, what do ya think those snobs in Canterlot would pay to get her back?" another asked with a smile.

"Doesn't matter. We ain't takin prisoners." a third responded menacingly.

The bandits began surrounding the alicorn. Several pegasi quickly cut off any chances of an aerial escape while unicorns and earth ponies closed in, the unicorns charging up their horns. Twilight continued to back up until she felt her rump hit a crate. She realized they had her cornered and tried thinking of a plan. The princess was confident she could take them on for a brief while, but would ultimately be overpowered by their numbers.

The closest bandit was about to lunge at the cornered pony, when a sound from the main tent caught their attention. The group of bandits as well as Twilight looked over to see Thomas step out of the entrance, fully outfitted with his armor.

"So..." he said, lighting his hands on fire. "Any of you reckon to fight?"

Not waiting for a response, the Fireman rushed over to the closest bandit, grabbing his snout and blasting fire down his throat. The stallion fell to the ground as flames erupted from his body.

"Oh yeah, I'm back!" Thomas said through his welder's mask.

The other bandits disregarded Twilight and quickly shifted all attention over to the new flaming opponent. Thomas didn't wait for an invitation and quickly ran at more bandits, tossing fire grenades ahead of himself. The exploding ordnance fried a few more thugs and distracted the rest, allowing the Fireman to take them out at close range.

"Burn in the name of the Prophet!" he screamed as he released fury with his hands, using them as flamethrowers. Ponies burned before him, unable to retaliate against the armored foe. Thomas grabbed a nearby bandit and lit him on fire, swinging the shrieking thug at more ponies, who couldn't run out of the way. After several swings with his makeshift weapon, the Fireman dropped the charred stub of a stallion and looked up.

The pegasi were still watching in shock as their grounded allies became smoldering corpses. Thomas decided they should get in on the action as well.

"Who want's some righteous fury?" he asked, pointing his hands up at the hovering bandits. Several flew away at this sight, while the more stubborn ponies flew directly at the Fireman. He charged himself up and then released an explosion of fire that overtook those foolish enough to stick around. Most tents in the camp burned as the fight ended as quickly as it began.

"And that's all she wrote." Thomas said, brushing himself off and walking over to Twilight as ashes rained down.

"You okay?" he asked, hoping she wasn't too disturbed by what he did.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Though I don't think I'm ever going to get over the brutality of your fighting style." she responded.

"Well if everything works out, you won't have to deal with me much longer anyway."

As Thomas said this, a spear struck the ground between him and the alicorn. The Fireman looked over and saw another bandit standing by the large pit he'd noticed earlier.

"Oops, guess I missed one." he said, charging up a fire grenade. The bandit seemed unsure of himself, but held his ground and when Thomas tossed the grenade at him, the stallion leaped out of the way, and right down into the hole.

"Not the smartest pony." the Fireman muttered as he opened up a nearby crate, shoving a few grenades in before closing it back up. He then put his foot against the burning box and pushed it hard with his leg. The crate slid across the ground and down into the pit.

"A tad bit excessive, don't you think?" Twilight commented. Thomas put his hands up innocently.

After a brief moment, the pit lit up as the box exploded and a large roar ripped through the air like a typhoon.

"What was that?" the alicorn asked.

"Hell if I know."

The ground began shaking as something made its way up the hole.

"Sweet Mary mother of God." Thomas said under his breath as a massive serpent-like tail emerged from the large hole, barely able to snake through the opening. It wrapped itself around a nearby tree and pulled as the rest of the creature pushed its way out of the pit. Thomas half expected to see a snake's head revealed at the end of the creature, but to his surprise and horror, he watched as a large claw grabbed the edge of the pit, followed by another. Suddenly the creature jumped out of the pit and landed in full view.

Thomas' brain did its best to identify the creature, but nothing came to mind. The serpent tail was attached to a large humanoid torso with two arms and razor sharp claws. The creature's head looked like that of a bull, with two large horns jutting from the sides. Its eyes glowed orange as it roared again, allowing several serpent heads to slither out of its mouth.

The Fireman quickly turned to Twilight, who was frozen with fear at the sight of the monstrosity.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I.........I don't........I mean.....it could be......" she stuttered. The creature instantly noticed the Fireman as its tail coiled around the camp's perimeter. The snake heads moved further out of the creature's mouth as it bared its claws threateningly.

"What the hell am I fighting!?" Thomas screamed at the alicorn.

Twilight snapped out of her daze and answered the Fireman. "Its an Ophiotaurus!" she yelled.

"A what?"

The creature paused no longer, and lunged at the Fireman with debilitating fury.

"Shit!" he shouted as he dodged the incoming attack. He hopped backwards as one of the monster's claws rammed into the ground where he had been standing. It quickly recovered and swiped at the Fireman again. He ducked down as the claw whipped past, missing Thomas by mere inches.

The Fireman got up and noticed the broken chains that were attached to the beast's wrists. He followed the chain to its end, where the metal looked melted through.

Goddammit! I must have set it free when I finished that last bandit. he thought.

Thomas launched a fireball at the creature, which only succeeded in making it angrier. The snakes quickly retreated back into the creature's mouth and the bull head let out an unholy shriek. Its midsection burst open as a large spiked tentacle emerged from the teeth filled hole. The appendage of mangled flesh and spikes slammed on the ground as the snake heads appeared out of the bull's mouth once more.

Two more tentacles snaked out of the monster's midsection, eagerly reaching out toward the Fireman but stopping just short of him. The creature regarded Thomas with predatory anticipation and an unrelenting hunger.

Thomas charged up his hands defensively as the beast slowly slithered in front of him, ready to attack.

"Any ideas Twilight?" the Fireman asked. "Uh.......Twilight?"

When Thomas looked back, the alicorn was nowhere to be seen.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" he cursed. Thomas didn't realize his mistake of breaking eye contact with the creature until it was too late. He felt himself being lifted off the ground by one of the tentacles as it began pulling him toward the creature's newly formed maw.

Chapter 7: Anything Goes, Everything Burns

Thomas didn't have much time to think. The tentacle had already dragged him to where he was only a few feet away from the gaping mouth. As the Fireman looked into the opening, all he saw were rows and rows of black teeth, spinning and twisting in ways that didn't look natural. Thomas knew that if the beast managed to pull him in there, it would be all over.

Quickly, he reached out and grabbed the tentacle firmly in one hand, using the other to desperately grab whatever he could to slow the monster's progress. Thomas was careful not to grasp any of the sharp looking spikes that dotted the large appendage and began heating his palm as much as possible. Smoke began rising from the burning grip as his idea began to yield success. The creature roared in pain as the tentacle released its grip from the Fireman and retreated back into the gullet from whence it came.

"Twilight!!" he shouted, praying the alicorn hadn't simply abandoned him out of fear. Thomas struggled to his feat before the creature began stabbing at him with its massive claws. He quickly ducked out of the way and hopped from side to side, trying to avoid the creature's merciless jabs. Fatigue began to set in as the Fireman's movements began slowing down. The beast roared again, gearing up for a final attack, but was interrupted by a bright flash of light. Thomas looked over to see Twilight teleport back into view, but this time she brought something with her.

His eyes widened as the princess' horn lit up and she began powering the devices that now sat next to her, loaded up and ready to go.

"Stay down!" she instructed, pointing three newly acquired Riveters at the large monster. It paid her little mind as it sought to defeat its first opponent, but was interrupted by the sudden assault of steel bolts. The Ophiotaurus let out an agonized shriek when the projectiles pierced its thick flesh. Some bolts harmlessly bounced off the tough skin, while others found more success penetrating some of the softer areas.

While Twilight pointed two of the weapons at the beast's midsection and tail, the third one she aimed right at the bull head, sending bolts into one of the creature's eyes and several of the snake heads. The serpent heads promptly retreated as the beast charged at the firing Riveters. The tentacles quickly smashed two of the weapons to pieces while the creature grabbed the third with one of its claws and threw it clear across the forest. Twilight swiftly teleported next to Thomas while the monster continued to pulverize the two remaining weapons.

"Thanks for the distraction." the Fireman said gratefully.

"I hope it gave you some time to think." the princess responded.

"Yeah, I'm gonna try something, but your probably not gonna like it." he admitted. Twilight shot him a look.

"What kind of something?" she asked suspiciously.

"Something stupid."

Twilight sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

The giant creature finished its anger filled assault on the Riveters and quickly turned back to the Fireman and princess.

"Get behind something." Thomas quickly commanded. He walked toward to the beast as Twilight teleported behind a group of supply crates. She continued to watch from safety, fearful of what the Fireman might attempt.

Thomas effortlessly pulled a spear out of the ground next to him. He examined it to make sure it was sharp; it would need to be for what he was about to attempt. The bull head regarded him with its one good eye. Blood was streaming down its face, but the monster didn't seem to notice. The two remaining tentacles slithered further out of its torso, ready to smash the Fireman has they did the Riveters.

Thomas held the spear in one hand while charging the other. He pointed his charged arm at the creature, provoking it to attack. As the beast's claws and tentacles headed straight for the Fireman, he let loose a large cloud of smoke before dodging the incoming attack. The monster barely missed the Fireman, who quickly retaliated in the shroud of smog.

The Ophiotaurus growled as it lost track of its limbs in the growing cloud. Then it roared as it felt the Fireman's attacks. It retracted its appendages out of reflex and Twilight gasped when she saw that it had lost both claws and a tentacle from the engagement. The monster's resulting shriek seemed to shake the forest's very foundation. It slammed its tail down, clearing away the smoke and revealing the fireman standing next to the cut limbs, spear still in gloved hand. Thomas didn't wait as he ran toward the creature, barely able to dodge the relentless assault of its other tentacle. He reached the part of the creature where its torso became the large serpent tail, and quickly cut his way into that part of its body.

Twilight looked on in shock as the creature thrashed around, attempting to get distance between itself and the Fireman, but Thomas stayed close as he finished cutting a large gash in the snake body. He then proceeded to pull the gash apart and wiggle his way into the creature itself. Another roar from the thrashing beast caused a nearby tent to collapse. It quickly sent the tentacle into the opening as well, trying to fish the intruder out. Twilight lost track of where Thomas was, unsure of which route he had taken, but the tentacle continued to slither its way deeper into the monster. The snake heads went back into the bull's mouth. Twilight couldn't begin to guess on the creature's anatomy, but she was sure the snakes were trying to intercept the Fireman before he could reach anything vital.

Another loud shriek from the beast signified that Thomas was still making progress, and Twilight could now see smoke billowing out of the creature's mouth. She had a good idea of what the Fireman was trying to do. The tentacle that Thomas had burned earlier snaked out of the creature's midsection and began bashing its own torso. The creature had started mutilating itself, desperate to stop the Fireman from causing more damage. Smoke could be seen coming from every orifice now. Even the holes made by the steel bolts began letting off wisps of smoke and the bull's eye stopped bleeding as if it was cauterized from the inside. The monster's breathing became much more labored and it began swaying back and forth. It wasn't long before the beast collapsed onto its stomach, unmoving as the crackling of flames could be heard from within.

Twilight approached the still creature, jumping slightly as a spear burst through its back and Thomas awkwardly climbed out, his bulky armor making it a difficult process. The Fireman jumped down from the creature, covered in slime and bile. Twilight approached him, but he held a hand out, motioning her to stop. She backed off as Thomas charged himself up and heated his entire body, quickly evaporating and burning away the grime from his armor.

"Well that was an experience." the Fireman said, shivering a little.

"That......was amazing." Twilight said, barely able to speak.

He looked back at the creature, which was now almost entirely engulfed in flames.

"We can go now, right?" Twilight asked, not wanting to remain in the camp any longer.

"Yeah, I got what I came for." the Fireman said, looking down at his armor.

The two headed off toward the treeline, when a strange sound stopped them in their tracks. They looked back to see a bluish white ball hovering above the burning creature. It radiated an aura that was unlike anything either of them had ever seen before.

"Uh, Twilight, What is that thing?" Thomas asked.

"I have no idea. It looks like some sort of energy, but I couldn't even make a guess on specifics." she replied, dumbfounded.

The ball of energy steadily moved toward the two, stopping right in front of the Fireman. Thomas took a step back, cautiously regarding the strange ball floating before him.

Twilight gasped. "I think I read something about this." she said, looking over at the dead Ophiotaurus. It had stopped burning and was now a smoldering pile of blackened ash.

"Mind enlightening me?"

"Well, legend has it that if one were to actually slay an Ophiotaurus and then burn its entrails, they would be granted great power. This power could be used to defeat even the mightiest of foes; or so the story goes." she explained.

The ball of light continued to hover in place, as if waiting for Thomas to grab it.

"So what do I do?"

"Well I suppose you just reach out and touch it."

The Fireman hesitantly raised his hand and placed it on the ball. It didn't feel solid, but he could tell there was something there when his hand passed into the sphere. Suddenly, the energy reacted to his touch, completely enveloping the Fireman in the strange aura. Thomas shouted in surprise, unable to move as the light covered every inch of his body. The light began to pulsate and change color, going from bluish white to a deep red.

"Twilight?!"

The alicorn simply stared in awe, transfixed by the shear beauty of the spectacle. Three orbs began forming from the aura that still surrounded the Fireman. They spun around as the pulsating light became so fast that it was barely noticeable anymore. A loud humming began emanating from the orbs as they spun faster, and a large column of light appeared that seemingly reached up to the heavens themselves.

The princess covered her face with a hoof, shielding her eyes from the pure light. It grew brighter, lighting up the entire area before suddenly going out. The forest quickly returned to its dark atmosphere and nothing could be heard but the soft chirping of insects in the nearby trees. As Twilight put her hoof down, she saw no evidence of the strange ball of energy. The Fireman began looking around as well, no longer paralyzed by the powerful force.

"What happened?" Thomas asked with confusion.

"I don't know. The light just vanished."

The alicorn walked over and inspected the Fireman, looking for any changes.

"It doesn't look like anything's different. Do you feel any different?" she inquired.

"No. I felt something when I was covered by that light, but I don't feel it anymore." he replied.

"That's so strange. I've never witnessed anything quite like that before."

"Well a lot of good it did me." Thomas muttered sarcastically, a bit disappointed.

"I guess that could have just been some sort of anomaly. The whole 'great power' thing is just an old legend anyway." Twilight concluded.

Thomas couldn't begin to explain to the alicorn what he had felt. It was exciting yet calming at the same time, his mind was clear of all worries, distractions, and pain. It was as if the Fireman had reached some sort of peace that had eluded him his entire life, but where did it go?

"We can leave now, right?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, we can head out."

"Good. I don't want to be in this forest any longer than I have to."

Thomas looked back up at where the strange ball had been hovering, before turning back to the princess.

"Alright, let's go." he agreed. The two quickly made their way out of the forest and back toward Ponyville.

* * *

Princess Celestia sat in a large chariot, staring out a window at the passing clouds. Ever since she received the letter from Princess Twilight, her mind was quite troubled. Apparently the popular belief was that this strange creature she wrote about was sent to their world from another, an idea that would have the top intellectual minds in Canterlot laughing their rumps off. Even Twilight sounded skeptical in her writing, but if this creature truly was from another world, it would certainly complicate things.

Another thing that had the princess worried was, of course, the creature itself. Twilight noted that this being had a bit of a temper, along with strange fire wielding abilities. Fire spells weren't rare by any means, but the way Twilight had described it, as if it was somehow one with the flames, was odd to say the least.

"Sister, you seem troubled."

Celestia turned to her sister Luna, who was sitting across from her in the chariot. The younger alicorn was interested in this other worldly creature and had requested to join the sun princess on the trip to Ponyville. Celestia saw no harm in it and always enjoyed her sister's company. The two princesses were sitting next to a squad of Royal Guards who were brought on as an added safety precaution. Celestia didn't think she'd need them, but for the protection of her subjects, she decided to bring them along.

"It's nothing Luna, I'm just a bit anxious, that's all." the larger alicorn reassured.

"Do you feel this creature will pose a threat?"

"I'm not sure. Twilight said it was looking for a way back to its own world. Apparently she feels that I might know a way to do that."

"From what young Twilight described, it sounds like some demon from Tartarus, if you ask me." Luna suggested.

Celestia thought for a moment. "I don't think so. Twilight seemed to be under the impression that this being wasn't from any plain of existence that we're familiar with. As if it was something beyond the scope of our knowledge."

"Is such a thing possible, sister? A creature entering our world from a completely different dimension?"

"If this being turns out to be, then I suppose that question will have been answered. These things are new to me as well, and I don't wish to speculate too much on matters that I do not yet understand. Let's meet this creature before coming to any conclusions."

Luna still looked concerned. "If this creature thinks you can help it get back home, what are we to do when it finds out that you know nothing about such concepts?"

Princess Celestia looked back out the window as the outskirts of Ponyville came into view. She shifted uneasily in her seat when the chariot began its descent.

"I pray the creature will be understanding." she finally said.

"And if it is not?" Luna inquired.

Celestia let out a light sigh. "Then I pray we will be up to the challenge of responding accordingly."

The younger alicorn nodded her head, understanding her sister's implication. The two then sat in silence for the remainder of the trip, mentally preparing for whatever they might meet below.

Chapter 8: Just let it Simmer

"So this potion just killed the bandit leader right on the spot?" Twilight asked.

"That's what it looked like to me. The vigor fried him better than I probably could have." Thomas replied.

"But how do you know it was the bandit leader?"

"Aside from the fact that he was the only one in the big tent? I don't know, I guess if I was the leader of a bunch of gutless bandits, I wouldn't want anyone gaining powers but me."

"Well that's assuming they somehow knew what that bottle contained, which is highly unlikely. If I were the leader, I would make one of my subordinates drink a little first so that I could properly measure the affects in a controlled environment before exposing myself to the unknown substance."

The Fireman gave the alicorn a surprised, but amused look. "That seems a little dark for you, princess. Keep talking like that and you'll be a superb tyrant one day."

"I was speaking hypothetically." she quickly explained. "It's not like I would ever become the leader of some heartless bandits."

Thomas chuckled a bit as the two made their way back to Ponyville. They were only a few minutes out, which relieved the Fireman to no end. If everything went the way he hoped, Celestia would be waiting for them when they got back and he'd be able to get back to Columbia by nightfall. An extremely optimistic scenario, he admitted, but it was something worth getting excited about in any case.

"HEY!!!"

Thomas nearly let off a flame wave when Pinkie Pie popped up from behind him, like she had been riding on his back the entire trip.

"Don't do that!" he warned, quickly recovering from the startle.

"Oopsy, didn't mean to scare you." the pink mare laughed.

"There's a big difference between being scared and being surprised."

"Ooooh, so you do get surprised! That's great news, it'll make your surprise party that much better!"

Pinkie quickly realized her slip-up in letting the cat out of the bag.

"Oh darn it, forget what I just said, okay?" she pleaded, stopping in front of the Fireman to get a better look at him. "Wow Thomas, you look really different with all that stuff on."

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

Soon Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy joined the group as well.

"Hey you guys, how did it go with those scumbags?" Rainbow asked.

"We ran into more trouble than we thought we would, but all in all it went alright." Twilight replied.

"Hey Thomas, if I put cupcake batter in the oven on your back, how long do you think they would take to bake?" Pinkie inquired, still examining the armor.

"It's not an OVEN!!!" the Fireman shouted.

"Yeah Pink, it's clearly a furnace." Rainbow Dash corrected jokingly.

"IT'S NOT A FURNACE EITHER!!!!"

Rainbow Dash fell to the ground laughing while Rarity and Applejack approached.

"Hello there Twilight, Thomas. Oh, I see you have your tacky suit back." the white unicorn commented.

"Oh God, give me strength." the Fireman mumbled, his patience steadily running thin.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly ran over as well.

"Thomas, thank Celestia you guys are okay." Sweetie Belle said in relief. The three fillies ran up to the Fireman, happy to see him safe.

"Speaking of Celestia, did she arrive yet?" Twilight inquired.

"Not as far as I know. Been mighty quiet today, in fact." Applejack answered.

As she said this, a chariot descended from the sky, landing beside the group. It was a fairly large transport, demanding the strength of six pegasi guards to pull it. Suddenly, the doors flew open and several guards quickly exited and surrounded the group, weapons at the ready.

"Your highness." one of them addressed Twilight. "I ask that you and your friends step away from the creature so that we can detain it."

Thomas didn't skip a beat. The fillies backed away from him as his arms ignited and he stepped closer to the guards.

"Let's see how that works out for you." he said threateningly.

The guards weren't dismayed by the threat, and didn't back down. Thomas formed his usual fire grenades and waited for them to make a move. The pegasi who'd been pulling the chariot quickly joined in on the stand off, flying above their fellow guards and surrounding the Fireman from the air.

"That's enough." Thomas heard a voice say from within the chariot. "Stand down."

The guards reluctantly lowered their weapons and backed away as a large white alicorn stepped down from the chariot. She was quickly joined by a smaller alicorn with darker colors. Everypony seemed to bow at their appearance, except for Twilight, who simply gave a respectful nod. The white alicorn walked up to the Fireman and promptly apologized.

"I must ask that you forgive my guards. They take their duties very seriously, but can be a tad bit overzealous at times."

Thomas didn't respond and just stood there expectantly. The princess waited a moment before continuing.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. This is my sister Luna." she said, motioning over to the other alicorn.

The Fireman hesitated before extinguishing his flames and standing up straight.

"The name's Thomas Miller." he said. "And I'm sure you can tell that I'm not from around here, but I was told you might be the one who knows how to send me back to where I am from." he replied, getting straight to the point.

The princess thought for a moment, not letting her facial features give away what she was thinking.

"Perhaps, but I ask that you and I speak privately first, in the library." she finally said.

"Fine by me."

"Excellent, thank you."

The two started off toward Ponyville with the rest of the large group following close behind.

* * *

Thomas walked over to a table while Celestia magically closed the front door of the library. She had to convince Luna and her guards to remain outside, as they didn't want to leave her alone with the Fireman, but eventually they conceded and granted the princess her desired privacy. Once the door was shut, Celestia walked over to Thomas, who was casually leaning on the table.

"So what would you like to discuss?" the Fireman asked. He could do without the small talk, but he didn't want to burn any bridges now that he was so close to getting home. If this princess wanted a few questions answered, then he would at least grant her that.

"Well first of all, would you tell me about the world that you come from?"

Thomas had expected this to be her first question. It was only natural for one to be curious about another world when they discover that their's isn't the only one.

"Can you be a bit more specific?" he asked. "Unless you'd like to sit here all night listening to every detail..."

The Fireman knew she probably would go for that proposition, but he wasn't about to.

"Okay. What do you do in your world?"

"I'm a Fireman. I get sent in to deal with people who disrupt the peace and prosperity of the city. That is my duty and fire is the weapon I wield to perform it."

Thomas demonstrated this by lighting his hand on fire.

"So you use magic?" she concluded, studying the flame.

"Not magic. My body was altered by something we call a vigor. They manipulate your genetic structure, or something like that, and then boom.....firepower."

"Well that sounds simple enough. Not the science behind it, mind you, but the process itself."

"I wish it were." he sighed. "Truth is, it's one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. Before the powers are given, the chemical does things to you that I can't even begin to describe. You feel like you're being burned alive at first. There were times when I wanted to kill myself just to be spared the agony. Firemen have to be exposed to this pain at a much higher intensity than the average Joe. It ends up doing things to us psychologically. Well, most of us."

Thomas had seen a lot of good men buckle under the pressure of what it took to walk in the Fireman's boots. Even he would sometimes get a little manic now and again, but he was one of the lucky ones.

"I can't imagine anypony going through such a process willingly." Celestia noted.

The Fireman laughed. "Most of them don't."

"What do you mean?"

"There's only a few of us who choose to become Firemen. A lot of them are just prisoners or undesirables undergoing punishment; forcibly given Devil's Kiss before being trapped inside their suits, always burning alive but never dying."

Celestia didn't realize that Thomas just told her something many people, even in his own world, didn't know about. All Firemen were loyal to Comstock and the founders, but not all had the option of choosing to be so. He didn't usually think about it too much and when he did catch his mind mulling over the prisoners, he would convince himself that they had coming whatever punishment they were given.

"That sounds horrible." Celestia gasped. The Fireman simply nodded in agreement.

"So why did you choose to go through such a thing?"

"Me? I don't know. I guess I just thought Firemen looked cool." he answered. Thomas simply gave her the short and simple version. He wasn't about to tell her the whole story. The princess seemed to sense that he was withholding information, but she didn't press further.

"So how did you get transported here?"

Thomas was relieved they were finally getting to the point.

"I was sent here by a woman with strange abilities. I don't know specifics, but she opened a portal that sucked me in and spat me out in this world." he explained.

"I see." the alicorn said, turning away from him and looking out a window. Thomas waited a moment before getting nervous.

"You can send me back home, right?"

Celestia sighed and turned back to him.

"Mr. Miller, I honestly have no idea how to send you back to your world, and I doubt we'll be able to find anypony here who does." she admitted in sorrow.

Thomas felt his whole world shatter around him. His legs grew weak and he had to put all his weight on the table to keep from falling. All of that time he spent here, all of the fighting, getting attacked by a dragon, slicing into a goddamn giant bull snake thing. All of it had been for nothing. He was trapped in this world for the rest of his life. He would never see Comstock again, nor his brother or his beloved city, not even the cute girl he had met at the ice cream stand. The Fireman was as good as dead. His brother would mourn his passing, there might even be a small service for him, a moment of silence in his honor, but then everyone would move on and he would be nothing more than a faded memory.

"Thomas?" Celestia called softly. She was clearly saddened by her inability to help him in his plight, but stood ready to react if he took the news badly.

"I'm fine I just......need a minute." he replied. After the initial let down ran its course, Thomas found that he wasn't at all surprised by the princess' words. The whole time he'd been here, there had always been that little voice in the back of his head telling him that he was going to die here, be it from some mythical creature or old age. He now realized that the voice was in fact correct.

The Fireman began dragging his feet over to the front door.

"Where are you going?" the alicorn asked.

"Oh I dunno yet. I'm gonna go walk until I find a nice clearing where the birds are chirping and the sun is shining, and then I'm probably gonna blow myself up." he said in a defeated voice.

"What!?" the princess gasped, completely taken aback.

As Thomas opened the door, the Cutie Mark Crusaders collapsed into the library. They'd clearly been listening in on the conversation.

"Thomas, are you crazy? You can't let something like this get you so down in the dumps!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Yeah, it stinks that the princess doesn't know how to get you back, but that doesn't mean there isn't a way." Apple Bloom pointed out.

"And we won't stop helping you until we find a way to do it! We promise we'll get you back home to your brother." Sweetie Belle concluded.

Thomas stood there, dumbfounded. He knew there was no way back home, yet just listening to these three fillies gave him some sort of drive. Was it hope or determination? Could that be what he was feeling? How could there be hope still residing inside him when the Fireman's tired spirit was already lost. How was that flame inside him still burning?

He didn't have time to consider it as one of the guards quickly pushed past the fillies and entered the library.

"Your highness, we have a situation." he reported.

"What is it?"

"There's a......you may just want to see for yourself."

Thomas, Celestia, and the Crusaders followed the guard to where everypony else was standing. They were all looking out at a nearby hill, watching a lone figure who was standing at the top. Thomas couldn't make out specific details, but he could easily identify the flames. Whatever this creature was, it was on fire.

* * *

Scorn stood on the hilltop as he watched more ponies join the group of onlookers who had already spotted him. The burning stallion smiled at the gathering crowd, happy that his first appearance would be witnessed by so many. His luck couldn't have been better. Three of Equestria's princesses were already present: Celestia, Luna, and the newest member of the alicorn family, Twilight. The former earth pony could barely contain his excitement at the thought of roasting the "big three" so early on in the game. His rise to power would be that much swifter.

"Today marks the end of Ponyville." he declared to himself, turning his head to the side and nodding. As he did this, conjured creatures began lining up on either side of him. They varied in shape and size, but all of them looked demonic and deadly, and they burned like their master. His army of monsters stood with him on the hilltop, eagerly awaiting his command. Scorn could just make out the looks of terror that dotted the crowd below.

The stallion charged himself up, boosting his flames and changing his shape. He winced in a brief moment of pain as a pair of flaming wings shot out of his back, his hooves grew into sharp claws, and his teeth formed into fangs.

"And Tomorrow marks the fall of Equestria." he sneered, slowly lifting a claw in the air and then letting it fall, signalling his minions to attack.

Chapter 9: The Legend of El Bombero

Once the creatures began to charge, it didn't take long for most of the crowd of townsponies to vacate the area, sprinting in the opposite direction. Those that remained included Thomas, The Elements of Harmony, the princesses, and their guards. The Cuties Mark Crusaders remained as well, hearing no objection from their distracted siblings.

The guards quickly sprang into action, running out and meeting the beasts half way, while Thomas ran out as well. He didn't know how many creatures there were, but there were enough to make this fight interesting. As he approached one of the flame spawns, he chucked a grenade at the beast, which hadn't identified him. The fireball exploded, but didn't effect the creature in the slightest, only resulting in getting its full attention.

"Yeah that figures." he muttered. "I need a weapon." Quickly looking around, he saw most of the guards already engaged in battle with the flame spawns. They managed to overpower a few of the beasts, but didn't have time to celebrate as more joined in the fight. Thomas shouted to the closest one, who hesitantly ran over to the Fireman.

"Listen, I need your spear." he promptly ordered. The pegasus almost laughed at his request, so Thomas turned the pony's attention to the other guards. They were still putting up a fight, but the creatures had started outnumbering them and the tides were quickly turning.

"See that? I'm gonna stop that from getting any worse, so give me your goddamn spear and then fly back to wherever you came from and tell them we need reinforcements!" Thomas commanded. The guard gulped and handed his spear over, then promptly flew off to get additional help.

The Fireman turned his attention back to the attacking monsters. There were quite a few spread out over the field, doing battle with the guards. At this point it was about two guards fighting every one beast, but that was changing as more flame spawns reached the battle.

Thomas acted quickly, running at one of the creatures and piercing its head with the spear. The spawn roared weakly before falling to the ground and bursting into ash. The Fireman continued his assault, felling two more beasts in the same manner. The creatures quickly identified him as the most immediate threat and began refocusing their attention. The flame spawns surrounded the Fireman and unleashed a barrage of fire based attacks, the heat alone causing many of the nearby guards to back away. After a moment, they stopped their attack, allowing the flames to die down. As the fire went out, Thomas stood in the center, uneffected by the attack.

Scorn watched as the Fireman retaliated, stabbing his minions with the spear and defeating them easily. Some of the flame spawns continued to try and defeat Thomas with fire, while others gave up on flames and quickly switched tactics, getting in close and engaging the Fireman in melee combat.

The former bandit leader cursed under his breath, recognizing the armor and realizing who this stranger was. Fire attacks wouldn't do any good on this one. Scorn would have to deal with this annoyance himself. He flapped his wings, causing sparks to shoot out, and quickly flew up into the sky.

Meanwhile, Thomas continued battling the flame spawns, who had all gotten wise to his fire affinity. They had all begun using claws and horns in an attempt to stop the Fireman, but Thomas had plenty of training in close combat. He blocked an incoming claw with his spear, pushing it to the side and stabbing its owner in the face. Another creature came at him from behind, but Thomas dodged the attack and pierced the beast in the chest. Two more flame spawns tried overpowering the Fireman, but he managed to dodge the attack of one which accidentally hit the other. Thomas took advantage and plunged the spear through both creatures, causing them to burst into ash.

The guards quickly rejoined the battle, covering the Fireman's right and left flank as he continued to cut his way through Scorn's waning forces. Thomas noticed one of the guards carrying a sword.

"Hey wanna trade?" he asked. The guard didn't argue and quickly traded weapons with the Fireman, who then changed attacks from stabbing and jabbing to slashing and slicing. Thomas swiftly beheaded the beasts that were more his height and slashed through the middle of those that were larger. The monsters' attacks that the Fireman didn't manage to dodge were stopped by his armor, causing little damage. Soon ashes began raining down over Thomas and the guards as they continued to advance.

The few remaining flame spawns suddenly stopped their attack and began retreating, running away from the fight and then disappearing into the ground through fiery holes. The guards began to cheer, raising their weapons into the air as Thomas caught his breath. He didn't see Scorn flying down at him until it was too late.

The stallion tackled the fireman to the ground and heated himself up, keeping the surrounding guards at a distance. The Fireman looked up at Scorn in time to see his claw coming down, quickly blocking the attack with his sword and kicking the flaming pony off. The two stood up and faced each other, contemplating their next move.

"You have become quite the pain. This was supposed to be a quick battle." Scorn hissed.

"It was a quick battle." the Fireman retorted.

"Well I really must thank you, outlander. After all, it was you who gave me access to that bottle of Devil's Kiss and allowed me to enter into a new stage of divinity."

Thomas' eyes widened. "Wait a minute, you were the one who took the vigor?"

"Of course, and I must say...." Scorn said, looking himself over. "It really packs quite the punch."

"Well then I reaffirm what I thought earlier. Ponies and vigors don't mix well together."

"On the contrary, I believe it worked much better on me than it did on you." Scorn grinned.

"It turned you into an abomination." Thomas shot back.

The stallion flapped his wings angrily. "It turned me into a GOD!!" he shouted, lowering his head and breathing fire through his nostrils.

"If you want to meet God......" the Fireman held his sword at the ready. "I'd be happy to send you his way."

Thomas didn't know how the vigor had turned the pony into such a powerhouse. Summoning demons and turning into a gargoyle were definitely new to him. Of course he was in the land of talking equines and mythical creatures, so the Fireman didn't feel he could question this new development. One thing that did have him incredibly confused was the fact that the stallion didn't seem to be using any salts. Thomas was sure there were none missing when he got his armor back, so how the hell was this bastard sustaining his power?

The Fireman didn't have time to figure it out as Scorn charged at him, baring his claws and fangs. Thomas held his sword up and parried the attack, quickly shouldering the pony in the jaw. Scorn came back with a left hook that would have taken Thomas' head off if he hadn't ducked. He quickly swung his sword at the pony's head, but Scorn backed away just as it was about to connect. Thomas followed through with several more swings, all just barely avoided by the burning stallion.

Scorn used his wings to thrust forward and tackle the Fireman once again, but this time, he held both of Thomas' arms down with his front hooves and began biting his head. Luckily the welder's mask was enough to stave off that attack and Thomas quickly used his knee to push the pony away. He then grabbed the sword and swept his foot under Scorns' legs, causing him to fall to the ground. The Fireman got on top of the disoriented pony and raised his sword up to finish him off.

"Thomas!!" he heard three voices call out. Thomas looked over to see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo running towards him, concerned for his well being. Scorn took the opportunity to make one of his claws into a crude fist and punch the Fireman hard in the face. His helmet flew off as he was sent flying backward. Thomas landed on the ground several feet away, his helmet bouncing past him.

Scorn turned to the three fillies and pointed a claw at them, charging up a flamethrower attack. The Cutie Mark Crusaders hugged each other as they cowered in front of the fiery figure.

Thomas recovered from the sucker punch and saw what was about to happen. He sprinted towards Scorn like hell on wheels.

"Don't you touch them you bastard!"

The Fireman tackled the pony just as the flames were let loose, shooting up in the air harmlessly. The fillies scurried away while Scorn and Thomas struggled with each other. This time it was Scorn who gained the upper hand and pinned the Fireman on the ground with a claw around his neck.

"Your weakness is displayed by your compassion for these lesser creatures." he laughed, still choking Thomas. "It's quite pathetic really, you have the potential to rule over this land, but instead you waste your time with some misguided attempt at playing the hero."

The stallion lifted his free claw a final time, making sure to aim correctly so he would not miss. Thomas began losing consciousness as his brain was deprived of oxygen.

"Once you are out of the way, outlander, there will be no one left to stop me from torching this entire world. Everyone will know terror, they will know Scorn before the end." he smirked.

Darkness began to surround the Fireman's vision as he fought to stay awake. He could see the claw hanging in the air like the headsman's ax.

"Now you die!" he shouted, bringing the claw down.

Suddenly, before Scorn could finish his attack, he was struck with a bolt of magical energy. The stallion looked up just as another bolt hit him square in the face. Thomas turned his head as much as he could and saw Celestia, Luna, and Twilight casting spells at the flaming pony.

Scorn roared in anger as he was hit by more bolts. He released his grip on the Fireman's neck and backed away, unwilling to flee. The stallion raised his claw at the princesses, but was struck several more times before he had a chance to retaliate. He cursed in annoyance and quickly flew away, unable to counter the magical bombardment. Celestia and Luna continued to fire at the retreating pony while Twilight ran over to Thomas' aid.

The last thing Thomas saw was Twilight's concerned face before unconsciousness finally took hold and the Fireman drifted off into blackness.

* * *

"Tommy? Tommy, can I come in?"

"No, leave me alone!"

"Tommy what's the matter? Why are you upset?"

"I heard you and dad fighting. I heard him say that you weren't getting better, that you were dying."

"Oh Tom, your father says a lot of things when he's angry, you know that."

"So your not getting worse?"

"I'm.....listen Tom, can I come in?"

"Yeah."

"Thomas, there are going to be times in your life when things don't always seem fair. You're going to have to go through things and it's going to feel like you can't handle them. But I need you to know that no matter what happens, no matter what happens to me, or your father, or your brother.....you need to know that we will always be with you."

"How? How will you be with me if I can't see you? I don't want you to die, mom."

"Oh honey, everyone dies eventually, but that doesn't mean their gone, it just means they've moved on."

"But I don't want you to move on! I want you here!"

"Thomas........would you like to hear a story?"

"A story? Sure."

"This is an old story that I heard when I went to South America."

"You mean where you got sick?"

"Yes, but that's not important. This story is called The Legend of El Bombero. There was once a small village in Peru that sat right at the base of the Andes mountains. An old hermit lived high up in these mountains and everyone called him El Bombero. He would rarely come down from the mountains and when he did, the locals from the small village would run away and hide from him. Everyone in the village despised this man because they thought he used black magic."

"Black magic?"

"That's right. You see, he was said to have strange powers, like the ability to produce fire from absolutely nothing. He could snap his fingers and produce the most magnificent flame anyone had ever seen. This scared the locals, so they usually stayed out of his way. Some of the nastier villagers would even throw things at him and call him names."

"That doesn't sound very nice."

"It wasn't nice at all. Anyway, one day a few children from the village decided to climb the mountains and find El Bombero. They climbed for days and days, searching for this black magic user. Unfortunately, the children got lost in a blizzard near the mountains' peaks. They found a cave, but it was so cold that the children began to freeze."

"Oh no!"

"Luckily, El Bombero found them in the cave, and right before the children's very eyes, he produced the beautiful flame that everyone spoke of. The man kept the children warm through the storm, and then led them down the mountain and back to the village, where their parents were waiting with grateful relief. When the children asked how the man made the flame, he simply said that the flame was the result of his departed family and friends. All of their spirits now resided within him, and he used these spirits to conjure the flames. He said that we all had this flame inside us, and with love and compassion, we could bring it out just like him."

"So what happened to the man?"

"No one knows, he went back up into the mountains and was never seen again, but from that day on, the village kept a flame lit in honor of El Bombero. He became one of their greatest and most celebrated heroes. You see Tommy, even when I'm long gone, I'll still be with you. That flame will always burn inside you, but only through love and compassion, through friends and family, can you truly set it free."

"Okay mom, thanks."

"Keep it in mind, sweetie. Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."

"Hey mom?"

"Yes Thomas?"

"What does El Bombero mean?"

"It's Spanish, for Fireman."

Thomas opened his eyes, he didn't immediately know where he was, but after looking around, he realized he was back in the Golden Oaks Library. His helmet sat on a table next to the bed he was lying on. Without another thought, he put it on and exited the small room. Once in the main foyer, he looked around for the ponies, but didn't see anyone.

"I'm glad you're alright." he heard a voice say behind him. He turned to see princess Luna step out of the shadows.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You were knocked out by that flaming creature, but you should consider yourself lucky. A few more seconds and you may very well have been killed."

Thomas thought back to the battle, remembering that bandit leader having him pinned and almost ripping him apart.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you." she replied. "Some of the guards have fairly serious burns, but they are otherwise unharmed. I must say, your prowess in battle is astonishing."

"Yeah well, a lot of training will do that to you."

Thomas could tell the princess had other things on her mind. She kept looking at him so strangely, like she felt sorry for him, like she knew something he didn't.

"What is it?" he asked, calling her out.

"Nothing, it's just that....." she walked over to a window. "I don't want to anger you."

"Oh stop beating around the bush and just tell me." he said impatiently. The princess sighed.

"I have certain abilities that allow me to see into the dreams of those who are asleep."

The Fireman's heart sank. He remembered what he'd been dreaming about before he woke up in the library.

"You saw all that?" he asked angrily.

"Y-yes, but please forgive me, I did not mean to intrude. I simply wanted to know more about you." she explained. He turned away from her.

"Well congratulations, because you now know more about me than anyone else in either of our worlds."

"I'm sorry, it was not my intention to upset you, but if I may, can I ask what happened to your mother? Did she........"

"Die?" he finished for her. "Yeah, about a month after that conversation happened."

The princess lowered her head. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah well don't be. Shit happens. I got over it." he harshly shot back. "After she died, my dad sent me and my brother to go live with my aunt while he drank himself to death. After a while my brother went off and did his own thing, leaving me to make trouble by myself."

He turned back to Luna. "And you know what? I didn't feel a goddamn thing! No flame in my heart, no peace in my mind. The only thing I felt after losing my mother was the stinging pain of losing everything else!" the Fireman was steaming now. The machinery on his armor was glowing brightly and his back pipe whistled quietly as if afternoon tea was ready.

Thomas saw genuine sorrow in the princess' eyes as he glared at her and after a brief moment of the two standing in silence, he started to cool down.

"That story she told you......" Luna started.

"What about it?" he inquired.

"I just.....I can relate to it. I was once just as feared and shunned as that man in the mountains. Only when I showed my subjects that there was nothing to fear, was I able to make friends and learn the joys that came with those friendships."

"Yeah that seems to be a common theme in this world." the Fireman replied, a slight smile forming on his face.

"Maybe that is a theme you could learn more from." the princess suggested. "I feel you are growing much more as an individual by being around those who see you as a friend." she smiled at him. "And perhaps you are beginning to see some of us as friends too."

Thomas chuckled. "Let's not go overboard here, sister."

The two exchanged a small laugh just as Twilight rushed into the library.

"Thomas, I'm glad you're awake. We need your help." she shouted.

"What is it?" the Fireman asked, walking over to her. He could see the panic in her eyes.

"It's Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo" she said frantically.

"They're missing!"

Chapter 10: Torched Upon Death

"Maybe this isn't a great idea, Apple Bloom." Scootaloo suggested.

"Yeah, I mean even if we find out where this big meanie is hiding, what are we supposed to do then?" Sweetie Belle added.

"We'll run right back to Ponyville and let everypony know where he is, duh." Apple Bloom replied, rolling her eyes.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders cautiously walked down a dirt road. They were headed in the direction they saw Scorn fly, hoping to track down where the stallion was hiding.

"I don't think Thomas would want us coming out here by ourselves." Scootaloo said, fearfully surveying their surroundings.

"I know Thomas wouldn't want us out here, but we're the reason he's knocked out in the library right now. He got hurt protectin us because we got in the way. I can't just sit in town and wait like a helpless little filly." Apple Bloom defended.

"But we are helpless little fillies!" Sweetie Belle countered.

"If you two wanna go back and hide under your beds then fine, but I aint goin back until I have somethin worth goin back with." Apple Bloom declared.

The other two crusaders exchanged worried looks, but didn't leave the determined filly's side. They continued to walk along the pathway until it led to the base of a large mountain.

"Oh well, looks like a dead end. Better get back to Ponyville!" Scootaloo suggested.

Suddenly, a loud growl could be heard coming from a large cave at the mountain's base.

"Shhh, quiet." Apple Bloom instructed, raising a hoof. The three quickly got behind some nearby bushes, peaking out to investigate the noise. The low growl could still be heard from inside the cave. The fillies watched the cave opening, looking for any kind of movement.

"This is stupid, it's probably just a bear or something." Sweetie Belle whispered, still trying to convince Apple Bloom to go back to town. To her dismay, a large flame spawn walked out of the cave. It looked around the area, scanning for any intruders before turning and going back inside.

"That was one of those monsters from earlier!" Apple Bloom excitedly whispered, pointing out the obvious.

"Great, can we go back now?" Scootaloo asked hopefully.

"Just a minute, did you two notice something weird about that one?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Aside from the fact that it's a giant burning monster thing?" Sweetie Belle retorted, quickly earning her a nasty look from the yellow filly.

"No I mean, it looked different from the ones that were in the field today. It's almost like they're gettin tougher or somethin, I don't know."

"How very observant of you." a voice hissed from behind.

The startled crusaders jumped out of the bush, turning and coming face to face with Scorn himself. The stallion was mere feet away from the fillies, a flame spawn standing at either side of him.

"Yes, I believe I'm getting better at conjuring these magnificent creatures." he continued. "I dare say, when the outlander arrives, he might not even make it to the cave entrance."

The flaming pony cracked his neck, causing bits of ash to sprinkle down to the ground.

"And that would be most unfortunate, because I want so badly to be the one to end his miserable existence." Scorn laughed.

"Yeah right! Thomas would mop the floor with you, no matter how many monsters you make." Scootaloo defended.

"Yeah, he won't come here without backup, then you'll be sorry!" Sweetie Belle added. This made the stallion laugh even more.

"Perhaps you'd be right, but I have a feeling that in his haste to find you three, he won't be thinking very logically. Indeed, you fools have just handed victory over to me on a silver platter. All I have to do is wait for the outlander to come running, then I will kill him slowly, painfully, while you three watch." he said menacingly.

The three fillies started running to the left, but were instantly cut off by a flame spawn, several of the creatures now had them surrounded.

"Nice try, but you aren't getting away that easily." Scorn said, stomping on the ground. A large fiery cage suddenly formed around the crusaders. "Now move!"

The cage started moving toward the cave opening, forcing the fillies to walk with it under threat of being burned.

"It seems appropriate that his is how it ends." the stallion thought out loud to himself. "You were the ones who allowed me to almost kill him earlier today, and it seems fate is not without a sense of irony, as you will be helping me finish the job." he mused.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders entered the cave with Scorn and his flame spawns following close behind. They disappeared into the darkness as thunder roared in the distance.

* * *

"When was the last time anyone saw them?" Thomas asked as Twilight led him and Luna to the town hall.

"After I put you in the library, I told the girls that you were going to be fine. After that they vanished." the alicorn replied.

The Fireman cursed under his breath. He knew what they were probably doing.

The three arrived at the town hall, just as several pegasi were taking off. The town was swarming with guards, all of whom were outfitted with heavy combat armor and weapons.

"I see you decided to bolster the ranks while I was out cold." Thomas said, impressed.

"Now that we know what we're dealing with, we aren't taking any chances." he heard a voice say. The Fireman saw Celestia exiting the town hall. She had a serious look on her face and he could tell she was worried.

"I'm glad to see you're back on your feet, Thomas. I also must thank you for your quick thinking and bravery in that last battle. Rallying the guards and fighting back those creatures was an amazing example of valor and leadership."

"Don't mention it. Are you searching for the missing fillies?" he asked.

"Of course, we have several search parties out looking for them right now, including their siblings." she replied.

"Good." he said, then turned to Twilight. "There's something you should know. That thing you saved me from, it was actually the pony who drank the Devil's Kiss."

"What?" she gasped. "But how is that possible? How were his powers heightened so dramatically?"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out." he admitted. "Any ideas?"

"Just one." Celestia chimed in. "It's possible that his consumption of the strange liquid you speak of has interacted with his life force in a way that has corrupted him. Upon death, some ponies that practice the forbidden art of necromancy are able to return to the realm of the living, but with new found powers. These powers are used at the expense of their very life essence, and the more they use this power, the more powerful and decayed they become. I've never seen this happen in my life, only reading of it in ancient tomes."

"Wait, you're saying this guy is a necromancer?" Thomas asked skeptically.

The princess shook her head. "No, but its possible that when he drank the potion, his powers were enhanced by his own life force. When he uses his power, his being is consumed by dark magic which then strengthens his growing abilities in a perpetual cycle."

Thomas thought back to their fight. Could the reason why that stallion didn't need salts be because he wasn't using the vigor in the traditional sense, because he wasn't using Devil's Kiss the way it was intended? Was he substituting salts for his very life force? It all sounded very far fetched to the Fireman, but this wasn't really his field of expertise and he couldn't come up with a better explanation.

Suddenly, a large column of flames shot out of the ground in front of town hall. Many of the guards backed away and shielded their eyes from the intense heat and brightness. Through the flames, Scorn's face was clearly visible.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you're doing well, outlander. I hope I didn't harm you too badly during our last encounter."

Thomas clenched his fists, not giving the stallion the satisfaction of a response.

"Anyway, I just thought you'd like to see what I found outside a little while ago." his image was replaced with a large cage of flames. Inside, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were huddled together, trying to get as far away from the burning bars as they could.

"You monster!" Celestia shouted. Scorn merely snickered and then readdressed Thomas.

"If you want to see these brats alive again, then you will travel west out of Ponyville and follow the dirt path until you reach a mountain. I'm located right inside a cave at the base of this mountain."

The flaming stallion identified the onlooking guards. "And make sure you come alone, outlander. Otherwise...."

He slammed a claw on the ground, causing the cage to shrink slightly. The fillies screamed as the flames got closer and Scorn laughed.

"I'll be waiting." he said as the column of flames quickly extinguished, leaving nothing but a scorch mark in the earth.

After a moment of shock induced silence, Twilight quickly gathered herself.

"Thomas, this is obviously a trap. We're going to have to think this through....." she turned to where the Fireman had been standing, but he was already gone.

* * *

Thomas never ran so fast in his life. He didn't even stop to catch his breath, but kept sprinting down the dirt path. The Fireman saw the mountain growing larger in the distance. His mind was thinking a million things at once, but the one thing that stood out was getting to Scorn's lair and saving the children. Getting back to Columbia would have to be set on the back burner for now. That damned stallion was a pain in his ass that he didn't want to have to worry about anymore.

However, he was troubled by what Celestia had said. Thomas still had an abundance of salts, but the supply was still limited. Plus if this pony really did get stronger the more he used his powers, then the Fireman would have to take him out fast and dirty, otherwise he was in for a very annoying and drawn out fight. Of course, the two really couldn't use their powers against each other anyway, so a hand to hand brawl was pretty much inevitable.

Shit, I should have grabbed a weapon before leaving. The Fireman thought, realizing he was running into this fight unarmed.

The base of the mountain was clearly visible now, as was the army of flame spawns that were standing around it. Thomas stopped in his tracks. He knew what if he took that many on at once, he would get cut down before long. The Fireman needed to save the fillies, but he couldn't do that if he was dead. He had to stop and think.

Looking around, the Fireman realized he was near the place where he had first landed in Equestria. It was where he first met Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, where he fried those timberwolves and defeated the.......

"That's it!" Thomas shouted, getting an idea. He quickly ran off the trail and into the nearby forest.

"Come on, come on, where are you, you big bastard?" he whispered to himself, breathing heavily. He ran past the trees, keeping an eye out for the den or cave he was looking for and hoping he was in the right place. Soon the Fireman spotted a large cavern opening in a small clearing. He ran inside the cave, lighting one of his hands so he could see in the utter blackness. The cavern itself was massive. Water eerily dripped off of stalactites as Thomas walked deeper into the den. Soon he could hear crunching and clinking as he walked and looked down to see gold and gems covering the cave floor. He looked up to see piles and piles of treasure, almost reaching the ceiling.

"Come on out, let's not waste time here." he shouted.

A low growl could be heard throughout the cavern. Thomas saw a large mass of treasure shift and move as the creature that had been sleeping beneath it awoke and sat up. Its long spiky neck connected the large black body to the red eyed head. Gems and gold coins slid down the piles as the enormous dragon sat fully upright, staring at the Fireman with hateful annoyance.

"Listen I know......" Thomas started, but before he could continue, the dragon inhaled and let loose a breath of fire that scorched everything around the Fireman. Once the dragon finished its attack, it stared at Thomas, confused at first but then remembering their last encounter.

"I know you can talk." Thomas continued, thinking back to Spike. "So what do you say we cut the bullshit and you listen to what I have to say?"

The dragon continued to stare him down, its anger rising as it stood up in the cavern, barely able to accomplish this with its large stature.

"What do you want?" it bellowed angrily.

"I need your help." the Fireman admitted. This got a loud chuckle from the beast.

"Is that so? And what would a 'great warrior' such as yourself need with the help of a dragon?" it inquired.

"There is a threat that looms over this land. A pony has gained powers and abilities, and plans to use them to enslave or destroy this world and all of its inhabitants. He's going to burn down everything he sees and kill countless creatures. Dragons won't be exempt from that list." Thomas explained.

The dragon laughed again. "You must take me to be some kind of fool, if you thought I would be fearful of a pony. The very thought disgusts me." the dragon hissed.

"If you don't help me now, then you'll have to deal with the shame of being defeated by that pony, right before he mounts your head on a spike." the Fireman warned.

The dragon stopped laughing and began considering his options. "What would you have me do?"

"Fly me over to where the pony is hiding, then distract the creatures guarding the entrance. I'll take care of the rest."

The beast thought for a moment. "And what do I get in return for my service?"

"Besides my everlasting love and admiration?" the Fireman teased. "Your reward will be your survival. I promise you that if left unchecked, this pony will come after your kind eventually, and it wont be pretty."

It grunted as it mulled over Thomas' proposal.

"Answer me something first." the large beast requested. "I have watched many decades go by. I have seen all manner of creatures, but never once have I laid eyes upon something like you. I don't care what you are, where you came from, or even why you're here, but answer me this. Why are you risking your life for these ponies? You have no connection to this world, yet still you meddle in its affairs. Why?"

Thomas thought about the question, realizing he didn't know the answer. Celestia had already admitted that she didn't know how to send him home. His only reason for sticking around and helping the ponies in the first place was to get back to Columbia. Now that he knew it was a dead end, why didn't he just move on? Surely there were other beings here that could offer more insight. Why was he still here?

"I don't know the answer to that." he admitted, both to the dragon and to himself. "Maybe I'm just getting soft, maybe I feel responsible for this stallion becoming a threat, or maybe I think there's still some chance these ponies can help me get home. Whatever the reason, I'm going to fight. They consider me a friend. They trust me and I might just feel obligated to show them that their trust wasn't misplaced."

The beast nodded its head, apparently satisfied with the answer. It stood quietly for a few more moments before reaching a decision.

"Very well, I will fly you to this cave and provide a distraction." it finally decided. Lowering its neck and allowing Thomas to climb up. "Just remember, when our business is concluded, this alliance will be too."

When the Fireman nodded and mounted the dragon, which then exited its den.

"Okay, let's just take this nice and slow and......" Thomas couldn't finish as the dragon spread its wings and took off at breakneck speed, heading straight up into the sky with the Fireman screaming on its back.

Chapter 11: A Fireman's Lament

A few moments after takeoff, the dragon leveled off and began flying smoothly just below the cloud line. Thomas quickly caught his breath after the screaming session, not knowing how he managed to hang on to the beast. Now the Fireman looked at the ground below. They were flying over the forest, but he could see Ponyville in the distance. Thomas wondered what Twilight was doing. He hadn't seen any guards, which likely meant they were still coming up with some plan of attack. Thomas hoped he could take care of this before they were needed.

"Where is this cave you spoke of?" the dragon asked, interrupting his thoughts. The Fireman scanned the ground below, following the dirt road to the mountainside and easily spotting the flame spawns standing near the cave entrance.

"There, just to your left. See them?"

The dragon nodded and made a quick course correction. Thomas noticed that the flame spawns were growing more numerous. There were even more now then when he first spotted the cave earlier.

"You gonna be able to handle them?" The Fireman asked.

The dragon laughed. "Yes, I believe I can handle a few Sanverni."

"Sanverni?" Thomas asked, confused.

The dragon eyed him curiously. "You are not aware of what those creatures are?"

"Well no, all I know is that our mutual enemy can summon those things like there's no tomorrow." he replied.

"Sanverni are also known as Ash Warriors due to their origins. They are born of ash and fire, and are rumored to be fallen warriors of ancient times. Many believe they come from the sunless abyss known as Tartarus, but that is mere speculation."

The dragon began descending more quickly as they approached the cave. "I will land you as close to the entrance as I can and provide the necessary distraction. The rest will be up to you."

"Got it, and thanks." the Fireman responded.

The flame spawns didn't notice the dragon until it made a hard landing near the cave, sending dirt up into the air and temporarily providing cover. Thomas used the cover to jump off the beast and run toward the cave, but before he could reach the entrance, several of the Ash Warriors blocked his path.

Up close, Thomas could see that they were much stronger than those he had fought back in Ponyville. They were bigger, tougher, and had crudely formed weapons for arms. The Fireman was about to attack, but remembered he had no weapon to fight with.

This isn't gonna be easy. Something tells me fisticuffs won't do much against these things. he thought.

The Sanverni approached the Fireman with lethal intent. Weapons at the ready, they began surrounding him as he backed away, trying to think of something. One of the flame spawns almost got within striking distance, but was suddenly pulverized into ash by a large black object.

Thomas looked up to see the dragon's large tail separating him and the other spawns.

"Distracting them is my job, you go and stop the leader." it reminded him. The Fireman nodded and headed for the cave.

The Sanverni quickly regrouped and attacked the dragon in unison, pouncing on the creature and striking it with their appendages. After a roar of anger, the dragon whipped its tail around, causing most of the flame spawns to fall away. The few that remained were quickly grabbed by the dragon's large claws and pounded into dust and ash.

Thomas stopped to look back at the dragon, who was now on the offensive. It began steam rolling several of the creatures as more Sanverni grouped around it. The Fireman quickly headed inside the cave, lighting a small flame in his palm so he could see into the darkening chamber.

* * *

Twilight quickly flew from the library back to the town hall while using her magic to carry the chest containing the Elements of Harmony. She elegantly landed on the ground next to Luna and Celestia, who were going over possible attack strategies with several officers of the guard.

"Do you really think the elements will do any good?" Twilight asked, addressing Celestia. The white alicorn merely shook her head with uncertainty.

"I'm not sure, but I feel it would be better to have them on hand, just in case we need a fallback strategy."

Twilight felt a shiver go up her spine. She was so used to using the Elements of Harmony as a first line of defense, that having to rely on them as a contingency filled her with worry.

"Twilight!"

The princess turned to see her friends sprinting in her direction.

"What's going on? Some guards told us they knew where the fillies were and to find you right away." Applejack said, a little out of breath.

"Are they here? Are they alright!?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh please tell me their safe." Rarity pleaded.

Twilight looked at them with heartache.

"I'm so sorry, the pony that attacked us earlier is holding them prisoner." she informed, the grief in her face quickly being reflected by theirs.

Rarity instantly burst into tears at the news. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy quickly tried to calm her down while Applejack and Rainbow Dash approached Twilight.

"Do you know where they are?" Rainbow Dash asked hopefully.

"Yes, but there's a complication." Twilight replied.

"What sorta complication?" Applejack demanded.

Twilight looked down. "The pony challenged Thomas to go and face him alone. If anypony else goes to help, he'll harm the fillies."

Applejack looked around. "Well where is he?"

"As soon as he found out where the young ones were, he quickly made haste to the fiend's lair in an attempt to rescue them." Princess Luna chimed in.

"Well we gotta go help him out!" Rainbow shouted, ready to fly.

"Wait Rainbow Dash, we can't just go blundering into a trap. He said that Thomas needed to go alone. If we're spotted near the cave, we'll be putting the fillies at risk." Twilight pointed out.

"But if Thomas already went to challenge him, then I only see two possible outcomes." Celestia countered. "Either he's successfully defeated the flaming stallion, or he hasn't and needs our help. Either way, I feel it's wise to go there ourselves."

She turned to Luna. "Get a battalion of guards ready. We're going to the cave."

Her sister nodded and promptly flew off to get the most decorated soldiers she could find.

"Do you think he's alright princess?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"For the sake of Equestria, I hope so." Celestia responded, watching in the distance as lightning cracked down from an approaching storm.

* * *

Thomas cautiously walked down the corridor, much like the dragon's den, all that could be heard aside from the Fireman's footsteps was the faint dripping of water as it fell from stalactites hanging overhead. So far he had been lucky, running into nothing since entering the cave. He would have thought the stallion would post guards here and there, but much to his surprise, it was eerily quiet.

Suddenly, the Fireman noticed light coming from the next bend. He quickly rounded the corner and walked into a large cavern, even bigger than the dragon's had been. In the middle of the seemingly empty cavern; Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were huddled together inside the burning cage.

"Girls!" Thomas shouted, running toward the cage with renewed enthusiasm. Before he could reach the cage though, a large pillar of fire erupted from the floor and inside stood Scorn, standing ready for their last fight.

"I'm glad you made it in one piece, outlander. I have to say I'm impressed with you. The dragon was unexpected, yet very cunning. However did you get it to work with you?" he inquired.

"Enough talk!" the Fireman spat. "Let's finish this."

Scorn grinned as the flames around him died down.

"As you wish."

With that, he stomped on the ground with such power and intensity that the entire cave shook violently, threatening to collapse. Thomas was barely able to keep on his feet, but that was the least of his worries. He stood in shock as Sanverni began climbing out of holes in the floor. Everywhere the Fireman looked, the flame spawns were crawling out of the pits from whatever hell they called home. He could only watch as the Ash Warriors continued to poor into the cavern, making it seem much smaller. Soon they numbered into the hundreds, completely surrounding Thomas and Scorn.

"You've been busy." the Fireman remarked as the last of the creatures fell into place.

"My power never falters, I only grow stronger each time I exert my strength, and so do my minions." he gestured to the trapped fillies. "Now, in their last moments of life, they get to watch as their 'hero' is ripped apart."

"The only thing they're going to see is my foot shoved neatly up your ass." Thomas retorted.

The stallion's fiery eyes narrowed. "We shall see."

Scorn backed up as his flame spawns charged in, the first reaching Thomas in mere seconds. Without another thought, he grabbed a nearby stalagmite and ripped it from the ground, almost pulling a muscle in the process. The first beast to reach him quickly brought down a crudely formed battle ax, which the Fireman was just barely able to block. He swiftly re-angled the stone spike and shoved it through the flame spawn's mid section. As it fell to ashes, two more Sanverni moved in to attack.

Thomas dodged one strike while blocking the other, quickly grabbing one creature's arm and stabbing it through the other one. He tore through the other with his own weapon, causing both to explode into ashes. He barely recovered before five more spawns took their place. The Fireman was able to defeat three more before the stalagmite was knocked out of his hand. Using his fists, he punched a creature several times in the stomach, but caused no damage. The Sanverni back handed Thomas, sending him flying into more creatures.

They piled on top of the downed Fireman, stabbing and slashing with viscous determination. Many spawns were killed by their own, who were blindly assaulting Thomas, but he was getting his fair share of hits. Several weapons were thrust into his armor, which did a good job at keeping them from puncturing, but the Fireman could still feel every jab. One of the clawed Sanverni ripped at his armor, breaking off pieces which fell to the floor.

Thomas was soon missing a shoulder pad, shin guard, gauntlet, and most of the machinery that used to surround his suit. The Fireman fought to get to the center of the cavern, where the fillies were still trapped, but every monster he knocked away would be replaced by eight more. He could barely be seen in the massive pile of demons that now tore at his body. His armor quickly gave way, exposing parts of flesh that became instant targets for the spawns' attacks.

Thomas could feel the open wounds along his arms, chest, back, and legs, but he continued to force his way to the burning cage. However, the beasts became too much for him, and the Fireman collapsed mere feet from the enclosure. The Sanverni saw their opportunity and got ready to finish him, but were called off by Scorn who now stood next to the wounded Fireman.

"Let me end this." the stallion said to his minions, who obediently stood down. Thomas looked up at the three fillies, who all had tears in their eyes. They had a hard time looking directly at their bloodied and broken friend as he lay slumped on the ground.

"Look at them, outlander. Look at what you died for." the stallion had a menacing grin on his face.

"I want you to look into their eyes before you die, then their deaths will follow." Scorn kicked Thomas hard in the side, causing him to roll over onto his back. He now stared up at the ceiling, his broken welder's mask still covering half his face. Soon the pony stepped into his field of vision once more. He held his claw up, not wanting to delay the inevitable any further.

"Once again, your love and compassion has failed you. This world will now suffer dearly for the mistake of thinking that anything but raw, merciless power could dominate and conquer. My armies will sweep over the land like a plague, and you will mark the first of many to fall before me." he held his claw up higher, this time there would be no interruptions.

"Thank you for your gift, outlander. You can rest easy knowing it will be put to good use." Scorn laughed, plunging his claw into the Fireman's heart. The fillies screamed as Thomas let out one last breath, then let his chest fall a final time.

* * *

Tommy? Tommy are you there?

Yeah mom, I'm here.

Oh good..........good I wanted to talk with you again before the surgery.

Mom......I.........I'm.......

It's okay Thomas, you don't have to say anything.

But I can't save you mom! I can't do anything to help. I'm useless, there's nothing I can......

You are NOT useless Thomas Miller. You are here. Your brother's not, your father's not, but you are. That's the most I could ever ask for. To be with my son. Remember that story I told you?

You mean El Bombero?

That's right. You aren't going to lose me Thomas. I will always be with you. That flame will never go out, so long as you have love in your heart. One day you'll pass that flame on to others. People who have come to love you as much as I do. People who you will come to love as well. You will pass your flame onto them as I'm passing mine onto you. Okay Tommy?..........Tommy are you there?

Yeah I'm here mom.

So am I Thomas......and no matter what happens.......that's not going to change.

He saw a light. He didn't know what to make of it at first, but he knew he'd felt it before. The calmness in his mind, all of his inner conflicts washed away, leaving only an inner peace. It felt good. He didn't want it to end.

Thomas!

Who was that? The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Get up Thomas!

Was it his mother? It couldn't be. That just wasn't possible.

Thomas, please!

No. Not his mother. But the love he felt for this voice was just as strong. The feeling of calmness, he realized, wasn't coming from the light, it was fueling the light. It was bringing out the power he felt in the bandit camp. He knew what it meant now. Those three fillies, everyone else back in town. That's how it was accessed, that's how it was used.

He reached out with a hand that wasn't there, touching the ball of light. It exploded, but he didn't hear it. All he heard were the voices of three crusaders that still needed his help, and he wasn't going to let them down.

* * *

Scorn removed his claw from the fallen Fireman, shaking the excess blood from its digits. He looked up at the fillies who were still uselessly calling the outlander's name.

"Enough!" he said, silencing the weeping ponies. "Your usefulness has expired." he pointed a claw at the ponies, charging it up. "Give my regards to the outlander." he mused, ready to release his strike.

"What!?"

He soon found his claw gripped by a hand. It was a bluish white color and it radiated energy.

"What is this?" Scorn asked in shock. He looked down to see Thomas, completely covered in the white veil.

"But......how?"

The Fireman responded by throwing the surprised stallion across the cavern. He slammed into the cave wall and as the dust cleared, a large hole was all that could be seen.

Thomas didn't waste time, and quickly went to the cage. He grabbed the bars, which instantly dissipated, and then pointed to the cave exit.

"Go!" he ordered the fillies.

"But what about you?" Apple Bloom asked fearfully.

"I'll be fine, now move! Go!"

The crusaders ran to the exit, but were instantly cut off by the flame spawns. Thomas charged up and shot through the creatures like a cannon, clearing a wide path for the ponies to escape.

Once they were clear, he refocused on the Sanverni. They didn't wait for their master's order and instead all began running at the Fireman at the same time. Thomas made quick work of the advancing warriors, using his power to cut through them like a sword of pure energy.

The creatures began bursting into ash as the Fireman passed, leaving none standing in his wake. Once the last few of them fell, the cave floor was covered in several inches of ash and dust. The cave was quiet, with not even the falling water able to make splashes on the ash covered floor.

A large chunk of rock suddenly crashed through the cave wall. Scorn appeared, covered in a large fiery aura that could only be brought about by his rage.

"You think you can defeat me? You can kill off all of my beasts, but you can't kill me. I'll rip you to shreds for causing me this much grief. You won't live to see tomorrow. There's no way you're leaving this cave alive!" the stallion shouted, flames erupting from his body.

"Then you will share my fate!" the Fireman shouted back.

Without another word, Thomas rocketed toward the flaming stallion, grabbing onto him as he charged what remained of his suit. The familiar whistling began as the tank on his back overloaded and the pressure became too great. The stallion tried to free himself, but Thomas held on with every ounce of strength he had left.

"Release me!" Scorn screamed with all of his anger and hatred.

"My thoughts exactly." the Fireman said, smiling and closing his eyes.

Suddenly an explosion of pure energy and fire tore through the mountain's very foundation, causing the entire cave to collapse in on itself. The mountain shook at the sudden surge of power, barely able to contain the massive blast.

* * *

Twilight led the large group of ponies to the cave entrance. They were all ready and willing to fight. Twilight was followed by Celestia and Luna who were followed by the other Elements of Harmony as well as a large group of armed guards.

They approached a black dragon just as it finished tearing apart a final flame spawn.

"What are you doing here?" Celestia inquired, keeping her distance.

"Finishing my end of the deal." the dragon replied, opening its wings and flying away. "Tell the Fire Warrior he can come and thank me later." it yelled before disappearing from view.

As it left, the Cutie Mark Crusaders cautiously exited the cave.

"Look!" Applejack shouted. She, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash rushed over to the young fillies. As they were bombarded with hugs and kisses from their older siblings, Twilight looked inside the cave.

"Where's Thomas?" the alicorn asked.

Before the fillies could answer, a large explosion ripped through the crowd, sending everypony to their knees. Dust and debris poured out of the cave. When Twilight got back to her feet and looked at the entrance, she gasped. The whole thing had collapsed and large boulders were blocking the entrance.

"NO!!" the princess screamed as she began lifting rocks with her magic, desperately trying to clear the way. Celestia quickly ran over to the purple pony.

"Twilight."

She kept lifting more rocks, throwing them to the side before getting more.

"Twilight!" the white alicorn said, louder this time. She put a wing over her former student, keeping her from collapsing.

Twilight stopped lifting rocks and buried her face in the princess' side, crying loudly. Her friends stood by her, most of them crying as well.

The storm finally released its contents and rain began to pour down, mixing in with the tears. Thunder roared as the ponies remained standing at the now quiet mountain.

Three weeks later....

Twilight stood at the cave entrance in silence. She hadn't been back to the mountainside since the day she was practically dragged away by Celestia and her friends. Spike stood by the path to Ponyville, waiting patiently. Having already payed his respects, the small dragon simply waited for his friend to finish paying hers.

There was a memorial service held in Ponyville once things calmed down the cycle of daily life was restored in the small town. It didn't take too long for normalcy to seep back into everypony's life, but that didn't make the loss any easier, especially for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sorrow and remorse have a way of maintaining a stubborn presence in the minds of young fillies. Twilight knew it would be some time before they learned to stop blaming themselves. Even she hadn't reached that stage yet.

"I wish you were here right now." she said softly. "I wish we could have found a way to send you home, back to your brother, your family and friends. No one should have to die in a world that isn't even theirs." tears began to fall on the ground.

"I want you to know how many lives you saved, and to know how grateful I am. We would have been lost without you, but your light brought us out of a darkness that would surely have swallowed Equestria. We all owe you a debt, a debt that all of us will pay forward as we go on with our lives. I hope you can rest with that knowledge." she put a hoof up to the plaque that had been placed in front of the cave. Etched into the plaque were a few words written by Princess Luna herself.

In memory of Thomas Miller.
His is a flame that shall never go out,
for we are its bearers.
Forever loved and eternally missed.

Twilight turned to Spike, who gave her a reassuring smile. She did her best to return it. Walking over to her assistant; the two slowly made their way back to Ponyville, their thoughts constantly returning to the memories of the Fireman who had saved their lives and filled their hearts with an undying flame.

Epilogue: Crow's Feet

A gentle breeze made its way through the empty field. Grass swayed in the wind, moving back and forth in an elegant dance. There were overcast clouds, making it seem dark even though it was only noon. Animals went about their business, collecting food, playing around, or just lounging in trees and bushes.

The quiet atmosphere was suddenly ended by a strange object appearing in the center of the field. A tear in reality seemed to form out of nothing, remaining open long enough for creatures to make their way through the rift. They were small, black, and agile, cawing loudly as they went through the portal.

Crows. A large number of them flew through the opening and into the sky. They fanned out in different directions, already aware of their purpose and objective.

As the last of the birds exited the tear, a figure stepped through as well. He wore a black robe and hood that completely concealed his face. The seal of a sword adorned his hood with a red streak running down the middle. A large coffin was chained to his back, but didn't seem to hinder his movement.

The portal closed behind the man as he looked around his new environment. He instantly didn't like the place, it was too earth like, and not in the good way.

A large raven flew to the man and gingerly landed on his shoulder. It cawed loudly, almost in a questioning manner.

"This is where they said he was sent." the man replied, his voice cold and unemotional.

The raven cawed again, this time more skeptically.

"No, this is the place. Those two blathering fools may have played their little games with DeWitt, but they know better than to toy with me." he responded.

The raven cawed twice more.

"The others will arrive once the preparations are complete. Until then, finding him is my first priority."

The bird cawed quietly.

"My brother would not die easily, but if that is indeed the case....." the dark figure drew a sword and held it at eye level, examining the craftsmanship.

"Then no mercy will be granted whatever heathens reside here."

One of the crows flew low and hovered by the hooded man, cawing excitedly before flying east.

"It seems as though we've found our first stop." the man said, sheathing his weapon and starting off in the direction the bird had flown.

The wind blew across the field as the man shifted into a flock of crows and disappeared from sight.