Today was probably the worst day in Phoenix's life. The Everfree forest was getting overcrowded. Celestia was in a bad mood, and Ace, being her combat expert, was ordered to kill as many animals as he could in the forest. "Why can't we just move them somewhere else?" He asked. "Nope! You've gotta kill them." Celestia said, almost happy. "Isn't that a bit much?" "Listen, I told you to go kill some animals, so I expect you to come back here with a pile of skulls!" Using magic, she pushed him out the door, and closed it behind him. Ace sighed. "This is unnecessary, but I guess I have to." Phoenix, who was busy messing around with the guards, thought to himself "What's taking him so long? My father should be done by now." Ace stepped out, and Phoenix walked over to him. "So? What's she making you do?" Ace looked at his son. He was older now, and had his cutie mark. His father was somewhat disappointed in what it turned out to be: A single fire. He feared that his son would get teased for being a pyro. "We're going hunting." He said, almost ashamed of himself. "Um...why? We don't eat meat." Phoenix asked innocently. "Celestia's orders. She says the forest is getting overcrowded. Personally, I think it would be a better idea to just move the animals somewhere else, but no, I've gotta kill them, and you're helping me." Phoenix almost fell over. "WHAT? Why me? Is this because of the whole fight thing 5 years ago?" "No, it's because you're good at setting fires. That way, we barely have to do any work, just ignite a stick or something, and we're done!" Phoenix began to walk towards the forest. "I'll do it because you're my father, but I won't stay and watch." After a while, they arrived at the forest. Everywhere they looked, squirrels were jumping from tree to tree, birds were flying through every little crack, rabbits were eating everything in sight. "Wow, when you said the forest was overcrowded, you weren't kidding." Phoenix said, taking out a match. "Not yet, son, we need to go deeper." Ace said, taking the match from his son. "Ok, fine..." Phoenix grumbled.

"Here's a good spot. Here you go." Ace said, handing the pyromaniac pegasus the match. He struck the match, and dropped it on a nearby pile of sticks. "Ok, my work's done, I'm gonna go talk with my friends." He began to walk towards Ponyville. "I'll see you at home, son." Ace called out. "Hey, what's that?" He said, walking towards a flickering bush. "Oh, more fire." He said, disappointed. "Wait a minute..." He thought aloud. "Phoenix dropped the match over there, so how's the-" He was cut off by a falling branch. "I better get out of here." He began to run. He stopped by Zecora's hut. When she looked at him, she stepped out, angry. "All of the woodland creatures, reduced to ash and coal. Celestia's combat expert, have you no soul?" "I know what you're thinking, and I told the princess this was unnecessary, but she wouldn't listen." Another tree branch fell, this time right behind him. "The forest is burning, you had best run away. If you do not move now, your life will end today." Zecora said, pointing to an opening in the trees. "You had better come with me, I don't think it's safe here." Ace said, running ahead. "Right behind you, murderous fool."

They had reached the center of the forest, when yet another falling tree branch pinned Ace to a burning tree by his stomach. The fire had made the end sharp, so it was easy for the branch to go through anypony. Ace screamed in pain. Zecora tried to get the branch out of him, but it was hopeless. "Go! you can still make it!" He yelled. "But Ace, this wildfire can claim many names. You, too, will surely fall to the unforgiving flames." He managed to grab her, and throw her into a spot of the forest that had not been burned yet. "Go!" He yelled one more time. Zecora was about to walk back, but the look in his eyes told her "If you take one more step towards me, I am going to rip this branch out of my stomach, and stab you." So, she ran away. Ace lay there, blood dripping out of his wound. His willpower had kept him from collapsing. He looked around. The entire area was on fire. He began to laugh, then he coughed up blood. "Phoenix...forgive me..." He struggled to say. He coughed up blood once more. "I know...you'll live." He continued. His back legs were now on fire. The inferno had burned the flesh away, and there was nothing left but bone. "Take care of yourself... for me." With that, the fire had made it's way up to his stomach. It hadn't instantly burned, so when the fire had burned a hole in Ace, his stomach fell out, into the merciless flames. Within minutes, Ace was gone. Phoenix had seen the fire from the kitchen window, and said to himself "My father sure had been in there a long time. I better check on him." He raced through the fire, not a single scratch on him. The fire at the center of the forest was beginning to die down, so Zecora had come back to check for damage. At around time, Phoenix jumped through the charred, lifeless trees. "Zecora, what are you doing here?" "Look for yourself, young one." Phoenix looked down at a single tree, and what he saw shocked him more than anything he had ever seen before. "Father..." He said, falling to his knees. "What a sad sight, a fatherless son." Zecora continued. "He was a good stallion, maybe even the best, you knew that, now please, let him have his rest." Phoenix and Zecora began to cry, and as the forest died around them, despite Zecora being right there, Phoenix finally knew what it was like to be truly alone.