Elements of Discord: Smolder, Ch. 4

By Somber

(All credit for My Little Pony belongs to Lauren Faust. If folks are willing to read this far, thank you.)

The Cloudsdale storm would be talked about for years to come as the home of Equestria's pegasus transformed from a white wonderland of delicately sculpted clouds and decorative rainbows into a grotesquely swollen thunderhead that scowled indolently at the land below it. Rain spattered and poured from its bulbous masses that had once been the homes of hundreds of Pegasus. Every now and then the clouds would shudder and boom in fitful reactions, walls bursting in great wild plumes of rain loaded clouds. Lightning flickered from the stress to the once beautiful buildings, but the pegasus of Cloudsdale were tireless in maintaining the rainstorm.

Below and to the south west, the fires of the Everfree Forest were reduced to sullen flames, then to smoking stretches of woodland. Dozens of smaller fires around Ponyville, kindled on windblown sparks from the blazing front, were slowly extinguished before they could spread. The rain also washed the smoke from the air and the ash from plants for dozens of miles around the community. As the sun set, Equestria plunged into a wet, drizzly, dour night.

But there's no sign of Nightmare Fury, Twilight Sparkle thought as she looked out at the rain. The panic of the day before had given way to a restless night, and no matter how tired she was, she couldn't find sleep. Her horn glowed, summoning the history book to her for what seemed the hundredth time.

Nightmare Fury, the destroyer of Old Canterlot, blazed in the picture before her. "You're reading that again?" Spike asked as he joined her. The Purple dragon looked at the image and shook his head, "You find some secret to defeating her?"

"No, Spike." She said as she leafed through the pages. "She destroyed a whole city trying to kill Princess Celestia a thousand years ago. It took a thousand pegasus, a hundred unicorns, and the princess to seal her away. There was so much devastation afterwards they had to abandon the city to the Everfree Forest." Twilight Sparkle scowled at the page. "So how did Fluttershy get her to stop? She could have just exploded Fluttershy without breaking a step."

Fluttershy was recovering in the bath house, converted into a hospital after the regular clinic was overwhelmed with smoked out ponies. Twilight just hoped she recovered in time to answer that question.

"Well maybe being locked underground for a thousand years sapped all her power. I mean, Nightmare Moon was supposed to be super powerful too, but she didn't just blast the six of you into dust." Spike pointed out as he hopped over to the fire and poured two mugs of cocoa.

"That might have been what it looked like, Spike, but Nightmare Moon was actually using a lot of her power maintaining eternal darkness and fighting off the Princess' power. Tricks were all she could muster trying to prevent us from reaching the Elements of Friendship." Twilight Sparkle flipped back to the start of the article. "Plus, I think she liked messing with us. Maybe it's a part of the whole evil 'nightmare' thing."

"Figures." Spike said, taking a drink. "So, just do to her what you did to Nightmare Moon. Get your friends together and give her the magic zap." He pointed one of the mugs, making zapping noises, before smiling and shrugging, "Presto, problem solved." Twilight Sparkle smiled, magically taking the mug and taking a sip before sighing.

"Except that we haven't been able to summon the Elements of Friendship, Spike. Think of it. We've faced dragons and hydras and no magical elements appeared to help us out. We always had to do it ourselves." She said with a worried frown. "And the Princess expressly told me not to face her. She was scared, Spike." That letter had been waiting for her when they'd returned. It'd commended her bravery, and then had virtually begged her to return to Canterlot till Fury was dealt with. It hadn't sounded like any letter Twilight Sparkle received before. "'I do not want to lose you like the others.' What others?"

Spike shrugged and finished up his mug of cocoa. "Beats me. But being the ruler of Equestria, I guess a disaster like this would have anyone stressed." He cocked his brow as he regarded Twilight Sparkle reading the book yet again. "And speaking of stress, you probably should get some sleep. There's not going to be any fires tonight." He said as he walked over to his own bed.

Twilight Sparkle sighed, listening to the hiss of rain and the distant rumble of thunder. She looked out the window. Where was Nightmare Fury now? What was she planning? And how could Twilight Sparkle stop her?

"I hate being stuck out in the rain, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said as a particularly wet drizzle poured down on the white unicorn's mane as plastered it to her coat.

"No one likes being stuck in the rain," the brown pegasus replied. "And who knew that it was going to rain like this in the middle of summer?" The saddle bags and cloaks did little to keep the rain off them as they futily searched for the monster they'd unleashed.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had ranged all over trying to find where the fire pony had gone. They'd wasted hours racing to hot spots only to discover the monster they'd set loose was only a smoldering log. Now it was night, and wet, and the girls were dangerously close to being lost. Not that they were afraid of the Everfree Forest or the fires, but it was a monster they were looking for.

Now it looked like all they were going to catch was a cold.

Apple Bloom looked around and spotted a cave on the edge of the wood. "Hey, we can wait in here till morning."

"And what then?" Sweetie Belle asked as they trotted towards the opening. There were scorched and smoking trees all around, but that was no surprise. After all it seemed like half the Everfree Forest was burned. "I mean, what are we gonna actually do if we find it?"

"Well. Apologize. Maybe we woke it up and it's grumpy or something. Then we ask it to leave. And… um…" The plan past that point frayed a little. "Maybe we can drive it off with Scootaloo's singing?"

"Very funny." Scootaloo said as she stepped into the damp cave and gave a hard shake.

"I thought so." Apple Bloom said before she and Sweetie Belle shook as well, drenching Scootaloo a second time. The pegasus gave a little snort, and retaliated, trying to drench the two again. Finally they collapsed in a laughing heap. It was nice to be out of the rain in a warm cave.

Wait. Warm?

Apple Bloom became aware of a light in the back of the cave. Slowly the flickering flames grew brighter and brighter as armor plates clanked and slowly shifted. Then a crackling orange glow filled the cave as a head lifted and burning eyes stares right at the three young ponies. A hot breath snorted a flame towards the three.

"Ahhh! Monster!" The three girls screamed and turned to scamper towards the exit. They got out into the pouring rain before Apple Bloom looked back and noticed the monster wasn't rampaging after them. Not that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had much experience with monsters, aside from a brush with a cockatrice, but Apple Bloom was pretty sure that most monsters wouldn't just lay back down in the cave; unless the fire pony was a particularly lazy monster. Slowly Apple Bloom turned around and returned to the mouth of the cave. She poked her head inside, followed by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

The fire pony simply lay on the hard stone floor with a one smoking hoof under its head.

The three stepped into the cave once more, dripping all over the floor but none of them wanted to shake and irritate the fire pony. "Um, hello?"

Slowly it looked at them once again. For the longest moment it seemed to be considering the three before it said, "Come in out of the rain, girls. Anypony with sense wouldn't be out on a night like tonight." She had a soft crackling voice, or maybe it was just the flames rising from her red mane like a camp fire. As they stepped closer a small smile appeared, "Oh, I remember you. I'm glad to see you three are safe."

"You… ah… woah…" Apple Bloom and her friends just stared for a moment before stepping in out of the drizzle. "You're… nice…"

"Not really," She said as she slowly rose to look at the three. "But unless one of you is in disguise there's little point in getting worked up. Come closer. Warm up."

"That's okay. I think we're plenty warm over here." Scootaloo shifted nervously. Apple Bloom looked at her friends and then took a few steps closer. "Apple Bloom!" hissed Scootaloo in alarm.

"We came here to talk." Apple Bloom reminded her friends. The fiery pony arched a burning brow, looking intrigued. Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "We… um… we wanted to apologize. For whatever we did that made you so mad and stuff." She shot a sharp look at the pair.

Reluctantly they both stepped forward and bowed their heads. "We're sorry," they intoned in unison.

The smile disappeared, its hooves flaring as it frowned and looked away. The stone she'd pressed against smoked when she moved her hoof aside. "Your apology is accepted, but misplaced. You three have done me no wrong." She let out a long breath that crackled in a little flame. "I think introductions are in order. My name is Nightmare Fury."

"That's a… um… nice name…" Apple Bloom said with a shaky smile. Fury just shook her head a little. "Well I'm Apple Bloom. This is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom gestured to each with a little toss of her head.

"A pleasure," Fury said calmly.

Scootaloo stepped closer, frowning in confusion. "Well, if you're not mad at us then what's with… well…" she nodded towards the Everfree Forest.

"It's complicated," Fury said simply. "And talking about it wouldn't do much good for either of us."

"You think we wouldn't understand?" Apple Bloom asked with a frown. Why did everypony insist on treating her like a baby?

"I hope you won't. But it's not something that I like talking about."

"Like we all like forest fires and our homes burned down." Scootaloo said sourly.

So much for talking her out of it. "Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom said sharply, glaring at her friend.

She pointed a brown wing at Fury, "Well it is her fault after all! All these fires and… and everything! And she won't even tell us why!"

Fury closed her eyes a moment, the heat raising just a touch. Then she looked at the trio and asked, "You three are good friends, aren't you?"

"The best!" Sweetie Belle said with a nod. "We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" At Fury's baffled expression Sweetie Belle elaborated on their mission of finding their Cutie Marks together.

Fury just nodded once. "I see some things never change," she said with a soft sigh. Then she looked at the three of them together and asked, "Apple Bloom, how would you feel if I burned Scootaloo?"

Apple Bloom's jaw dropped and all three of them backed away from Fury. "Why would you even ask that? That would be terrible!"

"Absolutely terrible. No argument. But that wasn't what I asked you. How would you feel?"

Apple Bloom looked at her friend. The brown Pegasus looked back, biting her lip as her wings twitched. Then Apple Bloom looked at Fury and said without hesitation. "I'd be really sad. Then I'd get really really mad!" She finished with a scowl.

"Why?" Fury cocked her head. Apple Bloom blinked in surprise. Wasn't that obvious?

"Cause she's my friend and you're all big and powerful and it wouldn't be right!" Apple Bloom retorted, angry to even have to think about something like that happening to her friend.

"And that's why I'm doing this."

"Huh?" All three said in unison.

Fury sighed softly, closing her eyes. "A long time ago I had a friend. A wonderful friend. Kind. Beautiful. Funny. But she had an older sister. A sister much more powerful than she, and much more popular. They had terrible fights. Then, at the end of it, her sister banished her far away forever and ever," Fury's mane started to spark and crackle and the stone under her hooves hissed and smoked. "I tried to fight her once, but I couldn't beat her. I ended up trapped like you found me. But now I'm free, and I'm going to get even with her."

"And that involves burning down the Everfree Forest?" Sweetie Belle asked in horror.

"And Ponyville. Canterlot. Equestria. Whatever I have to till she faces me." Fury replied solemnly. "And I'll keep on burning things till I find something she cares about enough to fight me. Or I'm stopped for good."

"But that's… terrible! Those are somepony's homes. Even Zecora lives in the Everfree Forest!" Sweetie Belle said aghast.

"Yes. It is terrible." Fury hung her head slightly before sighing again and looking at the three. "I don't pretend that what I'm doing is right. It isn't. But I'm still going to do it. I have to."

Apple Bloom just stared at her in confusion a moment. "I don't get you. On one hoof you want this revenge but on the other you say it's bad. So why do it? Why not just… stop?"

"Because it's all that I have left," she flicked her tail over the flaming mushroom shaped cloud on her flank. "It's what I am. What I chose to become, if you can call it a choice." She lay back down on the floor of the cave. "Why don't you rest and dry off?"

But Apple Bloom looked at Fury in bafflement. When her sister had gone on about Zecora cursing ponies, Apple Bloom didn't think that it was that simple. She got the exact same feeling from Fury. "You don't want to burn down Ponyville?" she asked,

"Not particularly. But I will," she said with a firmness that chilled Apple Bloom. "I have to cross that river, and the only stone bridge is right at Ponyville. So even if I wanted to spare it, it'd probably burn just by me passing through."

But that wasn't the only thing she'd have to pass through! Apple Acres was on the way. "You'd go right through my home! Are you saying you'd burn my home too?" She asked in horror. Fury just bowed her head and didn't answer. She would, Apple Bloom realized. She'd burn everything down for her revenge! "You can't!"

"I can. And I will, if I have to. I'm sorry, Apple Bloom."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders backed away from Fury who once more lay down on the stone facing away from them. "We have to go! I have to go now!" She had to get back to Applejack or Twilight Sparkle or… somepony! She couldn't stay here with this monster!

"You shouldn't. It's dark, and there's lots of-" but Apple Bloom wasn't listening any more. Fighting back the tears she raced into the night with her friends.

This is a legacy, Applejack thought as she looked at the farm. A legacy started by the first of the Apple family, Old Appleseed; The first pony to wander all over Equestria planting apple trees all over for anypony that needed a meal. Her ancestors had cultivated all kinds of apples over the generations and taken them far and wide across Equestria and beyond. They'd invented every apple dish she could think of that were worth thinking of. Applejack had tried leaving, but it was as much a part of her as her Cutie Mark.

"It ain't right," she said softly into the drizzle that rained down from the ruined Cloudsdale above. "Ain't right to leave it. Ain't right to not put up a fight for it." She walked out into the rain a little ways, feeling the mud slosh around her boots.

"Ayep," Echoed Big Macintosh besides her. None of the Apple Family slept tonight. Half the family sat out on the porch that surrounded the house, talking in low voices and eating some of Granny's pie. Too much on edge, no matter how tired everypony was. They wouldn't be able to pack out any more trees now thanks to the mud mucking up the yard. Hopefully tomorrow they'd get a few more out and then… then what? Watch Apple Acres burn?

"No!" Applejack smacked her hoof into the mud.

"Anope?" Big Macintosh asked in confusion. "What are you thinking, Applejack?

"I'm thinking… I'm thinking that we shouldn't be getting ready to run! I'm thinking that if that Fury wants to take Apple Acres, we make her work for it! And maybe, just maybe, we can drive her back into the Everfree Forest to whatever ruins she crawled out from." Applejack said as she reached up and tugged her hat down over her eyes a little. "I'm saying we should at least try."

Caramel and Golden Delicious perked up at once and grinned. Fritter gave a little cheer. The idea was catching on quickly. Big Macintosh clearly wasn't convinced, "But the Princess said…"

"Apple Acres don't belong to the Princess. It belongs to the Apple Family. It belongs to you and me, Mac. It belongs to everypony from Granny all the way to Apple Bloom!" Her sister and the other fillies were hiding out in their tree house after all the trouble started. She'd be sure to check in on her in the morning.

"What do you think, Granny Smith?" Big Macintosh asked the eldest of the Apple family.

The old lime colored mare scratched her chin with a hoof in a moment of contemplation, then jumped to her feet and screeched, "Let's kick her keester clear cross Equestria! Yeehaw!" The rest of the Apple family rose as well, joining in the cheers.

Finally Big Macintosh sighed, "Well, we best get busy then. Rain won't last past morning, I reckon, and we got a lot of work to do."

It wasn't supposed to be like this, Apple Bloom thought as they ran through the dark. They were supposed to find the monster and ask it nicely to go and it would and then nopony would be angry with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Everything could go back to what it was before when their biggest worry was figuring out whatever stunt would get them their marks next. Maybe they'd trick the monster somehow. Or something!

The steady drizzle and lingering smoke surrounded the three ponies like a veil. Away from the cave it was hard to tell which direction laid Apple Acres. Apple Bloom was still so upset that she didn't want to stop running to look around. "Apple Bloom! Wait!" She hesitated enough to see she'd almost left her friends behind and came to a stop. She was so glad it was raining so her friends couldn't see her tears.

"Apple Bloom, where are you going?" Scootaloo asked, and then sneezed.

"Home, while I still have a home." Apple Bloom shivered as well, the night wet and cold.

Sweetie Belle looked around the rainy scorched trees. "And is home this way?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't know!" She shouted and then hung her head. "When she started talking I was sure… I was so sure… we could talk her outta it. But she said she was gonna burn it! She's gonna burn everything!"

"And how does us running away stop that?" Scootaloo asked as she stepped in front of Apple Bloom. "So she's a monster. That doesn't mean we can't find out other stuff. Like how she got all burny and stuff."

"Yeah. And she doesn't want to burn stuff. She just wants to get even for her friend." Sweetie Belle said as she looked back the way they'd come. "If Diamond Tiara really hurt either of you, I'd think of some way to get even. It's just we're all caught up in the middle."

That was the most madding thing of all. What Fury wanted made sense. If she could just… not burn things… maybe they could do something? "So, if we can think of some way for her to get her revenge on this person then maybe we can save Ponyville?" Apple Bloom said as the idea opened a narrow window of hope.

"Maybe. But it'll be better than being stuck out here, lost." Scootaloo said as she tried to turn her wings into an umbrella… not quite reaching.

"Oh, I don't think you three need to worry about that." A male voice said from the shadows of two scorched trees. A goat popped his head out of the shadows and smiled warmly at the three fillies. "I say, how nice to see three delectable dames as yourselves on this horrid night," he said as he looked down at them. The girls looked at each other, wondering what 'delectable' meant.

"Hello Mr. Goat. What are you doing out here?" Apple Bloom asked warily.

"Ah, it's tragic. Our home was in the Everfree Forest; now burned to a crisp. We haven't had a decent bite in days." He said pitifully.

"Oh. Well if you need something to eat, we've got apple strudel, apple fritters, and even some of Granny Smith's apple pie." The ponies said as they stepped forward and Sweetie Belle nuzzled opened one of her backs to tug out a fritter.

"Oh that is so generous. Exactly as I expected," the goat said warmly as his head rose up in the shadows, and something big moved in the darkness. "But my friends really require much meatier fare!" Suddenly there was a roar and two huge lion paws shot out and pinned Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. A lion head appeared next to the goat's head, laughing out loud. The girls gasped as they saw both heads attached to a leonine body.

"You let my friends go!" Apple Bloom shouted as she charged the closest paw pinning Scootaloo. Suddenly a green snake shot out from around the monster and curled itself around her middle and lifted her into the air. A dragon head cackled as it lifted her up above the chimera.

"Oh, this is simply too perfect! One for each of us." The lion head chuckled.

The goat gave an ill little bleat, "Yeah, you can just have my share." Then he looked at their packs and licked his lips. "Though I call dibs on any cakes they're carrying."

"Wuss," taunted the dragon head.

"Hey, it's not my fault. Honestly, I have no idea why I'm stuck with you two." The goat head complained with a snort. "It'd make much more sense if I was a wolf or something, but noooo…"

Orange light then flickered from behind the three girls, and from the rainy darkness stepped Midnight Fury. The rain steamed and hissed off her coat and the black armor chained to her frame. Her teeth grit in pain as she narrowed her eyes at the Chimera. "Let them go."

The lion head snarled, "Back off, hot hooves. We caught these three, fair and square!"

"Bite makes right and all that," hissed the dragon head in agreement.

"Um, guys. Hate to point this out, but she's on fire," the goat pointed out, and then gave a shaky smile as the flames increased, despite the rain drizzling down on her. "Look, we can compromise. We eat two, you eat one. Sound fair?"

Fury's mane erupted in a flare running from the blackened helmet down her spine to her tail. A snap sent a fireball to an oak tree besides the chimera. The glowing sphere detonated and showered them with sparks as the tree burned brightly, hissing and steaming in the rain. "Release them now and you get to walk away. Sound fair?"

"Well, I can hardly disagree with that…" the dragon began as it uncoiled so that Apple Bloom stood on the shaky scaly neck. "Here… catch!" And the neck suddenly jerked like a snapped belt, launching Apple Bloom into the air. Suddenly free, the dragon head snapped forward, mouth spread wide as it sprayed a plume of greenish flame over Fury. Looking at the bonfire the dragon head cackled, "Well done… get it? Cause now she's-"

"You idiot," the goat muttered.

Covered in flame, two hooves rose up and slammed down atop the dragon's head with a muffled detonation that slammed its head into the mud. Fury looked up as Apple Bloom fell shrieking towards the ground and bit the dragon on the end on the nose. Draconic eyes, glazed in pain, went round in shock as Fury gave a heave backwards and yanked the entire chimera forward. The lion paws had to unpin the other two fillies to prevent itself from sprawling in the muck. Apple Bloom landed on the much softer back of the chimera, blinking in shock as her friends scrambled for safety.

"Hey, that shouldn't be in your diet. Get off!" The goat said as it reared back and butted its horns against the mare's armored shoulders. It succeeded in getting Fury to release the dragon head, but its own horns immediately started to smoke furiously. Sparks sprayed off the horns and the goat pulled back, yowling at its horns which were now afire. It looked left and right, then pushed its face into the muck with a sigh of relief.

"I don't care how hot you are, meat! You're lunch!" The lion roared, spreading its maw wide to chomp down on Fury. Freed of its pinned ponies, the chimera moved far faster than a creature of its bulk should. Fury ducked away, hooves turning up great steaming clods of mud as Fury's mane fought against the constant wet attempting to quench her fire. Claws lashed out, sparking as the pony turned and let the claws screech along the blackened plates. Roaring in pain and frustration now, the lion redoubled its attacks.

Head covered in muck the goat muttered in a half daze. "I don't know how I keep getting drug into this," the goat complained. The lion scored a blow that knocked Fury skidding along the muddy ground. The chimera lowered its leonine body as it prepared to pounce when Apple Bloom grabbed it hard between its shoulders.

The presence of a pony on it suddenly registered to the lion, who stopped its attack and looked behind it at the tasty morsel riding it. "Hey! Get off! No free rides!" The great cat started to leap and spin as it tried to knock Apple Bloom loose.

Apple Bloom clung to the bucking chimera and had to admit that underneath the substantial fear of being eaten, it sure was fun! In fact, the sheer audacity allowed her fear to give way to laughter. She gripped its fur in one hoof and gave a little cheer. "Yeah! Yeee haw!" She kicked hard with her back hooves as her other hoof waved over her head. "Giddy up!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stared in amazement and cheered, "Yeah! Go Apple Bloom! Ride em! Whoo hoo!"

The goat looked indignantly back at the young pony riding it and groaned, "Oh now that is simply wrong."

"Not for long!" hissed the dragon head, coming to its senses. It's long serpentine neck curled as its head came around, "First course!" It opened its maw wide.

Unfortunately six pairs of eyes had left Fury for far too long.

The burning pony launched herself up on to the back of the chimera, its yellow fur stinking as it burnt under hoof. The dragon's eyes went wide as it saw the reared hindquarters of the flaming pony and then both rear hooves kicked the dragon head in an exploding ring of sparks that rained down upon them.

"Ah! Hot! Hot! Hot!" yelled the goat head; the lion head simply roared in agreement as it started to roll.

"Let go!" Fury shouted at Apple Bloom and swept a hot forelimb to knock her free as the Chimera rolled on to its back. The pale olive pony fell free, rolled and came to a halt next to her friends. For a horrified moment they wondered if Fury was done for as the chimera ground its back into the turf. Then the chimera yowled as four flaming hooves slowly lifted it. Lying on her back beneath it, Fury grit her teeth, "Enough!" And with that all four legs kicked at once and launched the chimera as a hissing, roaring, bleating projectile through the air and into some broken brush.

Fury rose to her feet, her skin no longer black. It now appeared almost a dull cherry red. Steam rose from her armor like wings streaming back in the darkness. It approached the fallen Chimera. The dragon and lion heads appeared unconscious, but the goat looked at her blearily and said, "Okay. You win. Good eating." Fury said nothing as she stood there, crackling and swishing her burning tail. The goat's eyes widened in fear, "What… what do you want? You win! Now… now just go…"

"No," was all she said. The girls' eyes went round as Fury stood before the fallen monster, teeth gritted as the flames burnt brighter and brighter. Her mane was now golden yellow, snapping behind her. The water around her hooves boiled from the contact. There wasn't even rain falling on her now as the terrific heat radiated outwards and set the ground around her to steaming. Smoking! Flames began to crackle along the trees. The goat head cried out in pain.

"Stop!" Apple Bloom shouted, running as close as she dared. Her friends called after her to come back, but she couldn't. The air around Fury was so hot she felt herself dry almost immediately. Standing besides the chimera she spread her hooves wide. "You… you don't have to burn him! You don't!"

Fury said nothing. The sparks coming off her lashing tail ignited the wet brush behind her with ease as the yellow white tail snapped and swished. Her eyes glared down at the goat head, which covered itself with leonine paws and trembled. Then she reared up, front hooves burning like the sun, eyes narrowed in hate.

"He's not a part of your revenge!" Apple Bloom screamed, and Fury hesitated. The young pony looked at her with round eyes and asked, "Is he?"

"No." Nightmare Fury hesitated a moment longer and then let out her breath in a hiss, "He's not." She stepped back on all four once more. Slowly she walked away to a large, nearby oak. Letting out a scream gave another mighty rear kick. The flash and explosion split the trunk in to. Again and again she smashed the tree to burning kindling. The chimera and cutie mark crusaders stared in shock as the yellow glow lessened and the nightmare's mane returned to crackling red flame.

"Okay, going now," muttered the goat. The dragon head gave a sneaky look, creeping up on Sweetie Belle from behind. His jaws opened, then froze and he saw the goat glaring at him. "We. Are. Going!" Each word was accompanied by a butt from the goat's scorched horns. The chimera groaned as it got to its feet and crawled back into the Everfree Forest.

"What happened?" muttered the lion weakly.

"We're going vegetarian, that's what happened," the goat said crossly. "It's safer."

The four watched the chimera depart and at once rain doused the smoldering fires, steam pouring off Fury like a shroud and raised her head to look down at the three. For a moment Apple Bloom was sure she was going to get a lecture but Fury only said softly, "As I was saying, it's not safe out here. There are lots of other monsters leaving the Everfree Forest tonight. You'd be better off waiting with me till morning." And with that it turned and started to walk back towards the cave.

Apple Bloom looked at her friends and then frowned. "What do you think, girls?"

"Well, she could have just let us get eaten, so I guess we might as well," Scootaloo said skeptically.

Sweetie Belle looked over at her friend with a smile and kept her voice low, "But you did it Apple Bloom."

"Did what?"

"You stopped her," Sweetie Belle said simply.

Apple Bloom stopped in her tracks. She had, hadn't she? And if she stopped her once maybe she could do so again. With that thought warm in her heart, she caught up with her friends.

The spa had been converted into a relief shelter for dozens of ponies ranging from smoked out pegasus, ponies exhausted from the frantic evacuation of young and elderly, and ponies injured in incidental accidents in the mess. Rarity hated to admit it, but the bath house being used to help sick and injured ponies was oddly fitting. She'd always seen it as a refuge and a place to regenerate one's nerves. She simply hoped it would continue to do so after this nightmare business was dealt with.

Lotus and Aloe spotted her and gestured her closer. Even if this was outside their usual fare the blue and pink ponies were doing their best to keep everypony calm. "She is in the massage room," they said softly in their odd accents. Rarity thanked them both and the pair returned to helping Nurse Redheart.

Unlike Earth Ponies and Pegasus, Unicorns craved society. They created more than just magic with their horns; they created the culture of Equestria itself. It wasn't enough to simply make dresses; Rarity tried to improve the lot of ponydom as a whole with her creations. That it paid the bills was a simple beneficial step. That Earth Ponies and Pegasus both benefited from the efforts of unicorns was another bonus. Thus the whole nature of the Nightmare terrified her. It was something that unraveled civilization simply by being. That, more than any fear of harm to her shop, is what worried her.

Fluttershy had been given a room to herself away from the large open space where most ponies were gathered for care. Pushing the door open she entered slowly; it felt like she was intruding. Still, with all her friends busy, Rarity had elected herself to watch over Fluttershy till she recovered. Fluttershy lay on her side beneath a blanket with bandages covering half her body. If Nurse Tenderheart hadn't assured them that Fluttershy would recover… well, her friend didn't need to see her fall apart. She had to keep herself together. She simply had to.

Slowly Fluttershy opened one soft blue eye and looked up at her friend. She smiled slightly, "Oh, hello, Rarity." She spoke so simply, as if she wasn't lying there injured at all.

Walking around the massage couch, Rarity looked at her friend's scorched pink hair. "You know, I'd hoped we'd have better circumstances for our weekly beauty treatment."

Fluttershy started to move, then gave a little cry and lay back once again, breathing hard. "Fluttershy! Don't… you can't move just now." That carefully cultured knot of civility began to unravel.

"It's okay, Rarity." Fluttershy said softly, giving her another gentle smile. "Did Twilight Sparkle take care of my friends?"

"Yes. I understand Couches and Quills was willing to house them for now. At least until they can be sent to Whitetail Woods," Rarity said in a tight voice. How like Fluttershy to ask about the animals she'd been burnt to protect. "And what about you, Fluttershy? How are you feeling?"

"Me? Oh. I'm… fine." Fluttershy said as she looked away.

"Would you like a softer pillow?" Rarity knew exactly what she needed-

"No, my pillow is fine."

"Oh," Rarity thought harder, "A better blanket?"

"No, thank you."

"I could fix your coiffure!" She offered, feeling that tension growing inside her that made her start to twitch.

"That's okay," she declined, shaking her head.

I am going to help her feel better, no matter what! Rarity was about to suggest a fruit tray when the door opened again. Rarity looked over, expecting Pinkie Pie with some baked treats. The sight of the stately pegasus entering made her jaw drop. Any unicorn reading 'Whos hooves' like Rarity did could have identified the head Pegasus of Cloudsdale. His aristocratic bearing practically screamed a lineage going back generations. He'd once been a Wonderbolt for years before retiring to administer Cloudsdale.

His dark eyes lingered a moment on Rarity, and she felt the urge to leave. "Good evening, sir Radiant."

"It's closer to morning now," he said curtly before walking around to stand before Fluttershy. The lemon pegasus glanced up at him and then quickly looked away. "Hello, Fluttershy." Rarity's mouth hung open in amazement. He'd come to see her?

"Hello, sir," she said so softly that Rarity wasn't even sure that she'd heard her speak.

"How are you feeling?" He could have been addressing the wall for all the attention he gave Fluttershy.

"I'm fine, sir."

"Good. That's good. And your… pets?"

"They're fine too, sir."

"Good. That's also good."

Rarity stared from one to the other. Each looked at some object rather than each other. The awkward silence stretched on for almost a minute. Finally Radiant coughed and said formally, "Well I'd best get back to work." He turned away from her. "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Yes, sir," Fluttershy said as she closed her eyes. Radiant stepped towards the door and Rarity felt her curls tighten. She didn't know what that was about, but clearly Fluttershy looked absolutely miserable.

"Sir!" Rarity began, but was silenced by the look from the Pegasus. It was a look that was not going to suffer scolding from a unicorn a third his age. "I… just wanted to thank you for your assistance with the fire." She said gracefully, smiling as sweetly as she could manage. That hard look didn't soften in the slightest as he stared down at her. Sudden Rarity wanted to be anywhere but here.

"You're her friend?" he asked bluntly. The stern look suggested that Rarity had done something warranting disciplinary action.

"Y…yes, sir. I am. Rarity."

"I know; you are that show off from the Young Flyers Competition." Rarity's smile curdled and she fought desperately to maintain it. "Take care of her." He said simply, glancing back to where Fluttershy lay as if asleep. Rarity could only nod before he strode out of the room once again.

"What was that all about?" Rarity looked back at Fluttershy, and pressed her lips together. There was a place and a time for such questions. She smiled and returned to her friend's side, "Now, how about we get your mane in some order? Or there were some lovely pastries I could…" Rarity's words faded as she saw the steady silent tears running down her friend's cheeks. She didn't understand the why, but she knew what Fluttershy needed. Rarity didn't hesitate a second as she walked to her and carefully hugged her injured friend and held her as she wept.

I will help her feel better, no matter what.

Apple Bloom awoke to the hazy predawn glow coming over the horizon. It wasn't unusual for her to get up this early when Applejack and Big Macintosh tended to chores. She'd often rouse herself and cook breakfast along with Granny Smith. She sat up, wrapped up in her Cutie Mark Crusader cloak and saw Fury sitting at the mouth of the cave. Apple Bloom saw the quiet look on her face. The young filly had never seen anypony looking so… lonely.

She looked at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle still snoring away and quietly approached. Fury just looked back at her with a smoldering red eye and then back out. She was staring at Canterlot, Apple Bloom realized. Apple Acres and Ponyville lay right in her path. "Um, good morning, Fury."

"Good Morning, Apple Bloom," Fury replied softly, but her tone echoed the filly's. There was little good in this coming morning.

Apple Bloom nudged open the flaps on her saddle bags and took out one of Granny Smith's pies. It was a little smooshed after their tussle with the chimera, but still more or less sound. She broke it into two pieces, taking a large bite out of one and swallowing with relish, and offered one half to the Nightmare. "Want some?"

The Nightmare paused and then carefully took it in her hooves. Immediately the golden crust blackened and the filling began to bubble, hiss, blacken, and char. Fury looked at the smoking mess with a soft sigh and then began to each the burnt meal. Apple Bloom just watched in shock and she choked down the burned meal with the same resoluteness she did with everything else. "It's good…" Fury said softly, though the insincerity was obvious even to Apple Bloom.

The awkwardness extended for a few minutes as they ate, before Apple Bloom wiped away her crumbs and looked at that burning mushroom cloud on Fury's ebony flank. "How'd you get that cutie mark?" It might have been a stupid question, but it was all she could think to ask.

Nightmare Fury glanced back at it herself and then finished off the last of the pie. "I chose it when I changed my cutie mark."

Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "You… picked it? But Twilight Sparkle said nopony could make a cutie mark appear! She even tried to magic one and it just faded."

"Your Twilight Sparkle's right. There is no normal magic that can affect a cutie mark. That's because a cutie mark is a reflection of your truest self. It's a label that says who you are."

"Really? But Miss Cherilee said it shows our talents."

The nightmare shook her head. "It's more than just talent. It's… you. A symbol that represents you and all that you are. And once that's decided, it never changes." The black pony looked back at her own cutie mark before she said in a low, regretful voice, "When we became Nightmares we forced our cutie marks to change. Forced ourselves to change."

"I don't get it. Why would changing a cutie mark be so bad?"

Fury sighed and tapped her hoof on the stones. "Things are as nature intends. There's a natural way to the world, and a natural way to get your cutie marks. When you get it, it's a perfect symbol for who you are. Trying to change a cutie mark is a mistake. It's… preferring a lie over the truth. It's wrong."

"But you did it anyway?"

"For power. For the ability to hurt my enemy and take my revenge," she looked at Apple Bloom with the saddest smile. "There's a natural magic in all ponies, from Unicorns able to do tricks to a Pegasus' flight to an Earth pony's gift for caring for nature. It's a good magic. But by changing our cutie marks to our own selfish ends, we gained terrible magical power."

Apple Bloom cocked her head, "You sound like you don't want it."

Nightmare Fury closed her burning eyes for a long moment and then looked at her hooves. "I have the power to burn my enemies. To destroy at will… to destroy even by accident. I can destroy things simply by standing in place if I'm not careful." She brought her hoof down in a tiny miniature explosion that looked cute, but reminded Apple Bloom of an exploded oak tree. "And I will use this power to get my revenge, or be destroyed trying." Then she closed her eyes and sighed softly, "But I would have liked to have tasted that pie."

Apple Bloom's ears drooped. "You're still going to burn Ponyville?"

"I have to draw my enemy out to face me. She hasn't shown herself yet, so clearly burning a forest isn't enough."

"Well," Apple Bloom thought furiously. "What if… what if we find this enemy of yours? We could give her your challenge and you could settle things away from Ponyville."

Nightmare Fury was silent for a long time, looking at the horizon. "If you want to find Princess Celestia and give her my challenge, so be it."

"Princess… Princess Celestia?" Gasped Apple Bloom in horror. "That's your enemy?" Her raised voice roused her two friends. "How could you hate Princess Celestia? She's the kindest, most wonderful-"

"Don't!" Shouted Fury as she rose to her hooves, her mane flaring and snapping. Apple Bloom jumped back, but her saddlebags ignited to the sweet stench of burning pastries. All three stared in fear as Fury drew herself up and took a deep breath. "Don't tell me how much you love her. Of course you love her. Everypony does! But you don't know what she did to me. What she did to Luna! I don't care how much sweetness and light and love you feel for her, I will burn her to ash and dust or lay waste to everything she holds dear! Do you understand me?" She roared, and the stone under her hooves started to bubble and smoke from the bluish flames flickering amid the yellow fire.

Their terrified expressions were answer enough. Fury let out a long, slow breath as the heat cooled and she stepped outside. "Come on. I'll see you home at least." She didn't add what would follow shortly thereafter. One by one the Cutie Mark Crusaders filed out, their heads low to match their spirits. "And Apple Bloom, I'm sorry that I couldn't be… nice… for you."

The morning sun rose on a soggy, wet Ponyville. The haze of smoke had largely cleared, but the stink remained. Muddy ash choked the rivers and lakes around the community, and the sudden widespread downpour had the Equestria river running high along its banks. Overhead, Cloudsdale had returned to its white colors now that it had exhausted its rain. The pegasus town now resembled an overstretched mishmash of itself; a cottony copy now stretched and tugged in a mishmash of directions. It leaked rainbows in a dozen incomplete arcs.

Together the four walked in silence. In the early morning light they could see the apple orchards clearly now. Acre upon acre of apple trees as far as a pony could see. Behind them was the broad brown ribbon of the Equestria River and the rooftops of Ponyville.

Then Nightmare Fury came up short and the fillies snapped out of their funk to gape in amazement. Along the edge of Apple Acres a muddy trench had been dug out, the earth stacked in an embankment running as far as they could see. Crates and slates line the top in an impromptu battlement and as they stood gaping in amazement the thunder of dozens of ponies echoed in the air. One head, then another, then another popped into view over the edge. Big Macintosh wore a metal bucket atop his head; Granny Smith sported a pegasus aviator's cap.

And there in the middle was Applejack wearing a battered up football helmet in her toughest duds. "This here is Apple Acres and ya'll ain't welcome! You want ta get to Ponyville, you'll have to go through us!" The rest of the Apple family took up her words with cheers.

For the longest moment nothing happened. And then Fury lips curled slowly upwards; not in sadness but in anticipation. She spread her flaming hooves wide and lowered her head to charge, "Gladly!"