"Oh Vendium... I almost forgot!" With that, I set my saddlebag on the ground and unbuckled it open. Rummaging through it, I found what I was searching for. A torch about two feet in length. I had wrapped the top of it with a cloth that I had soaked in oil before we made our trip to Ponyville. The smell flared my nostrils, informing me of what's to come. I grasped it in one hoof, and held it high over my head before Vendium. "I forgot my flint. I need you to light this."

He brought his head closer, breathing in a puff of air into his lungs. His chest inflated, filling with the fire that rose from his stomach. In a push of his breath, fire escaped from the gaps of his teeth and to the torch. The tip ignited, like an explosion, trailing a 'wooshing' sound that trapped the air around it. I could feel the intensity of the flames as it burst from his mouth. It didn't bother me, for I have done this too many time before, I grew a tolerance to heat.

"Remember Lathyrus, that's your only one. Make it count." With that, he himself raced to the town, wings spread apart, gliding similar to Wisteria.

A scream shrieked from the town, then followed by another, and then another. It appears Wisteria already made his presence apparent to them. Though in the far off distance, I could quite audibly hear the shattering of glass windows and the falling of rubble. The sounds of terror only increased in volume as soon as Vendium disappeared from my sight. I can't believe they started without me.

Instinctively, I placed the torch in my teeth. I gritted it tight, and raced along the side of the town straight through the patches of trees as not to be seen by anypony. I headed left on a trail that was composed of dried dirt and dieing plants. What better thing to do than keep my head low? Galloping through the hoof-grazing grass, I tilted my head, having the tip of the torch contact and wave through the lifeless vegetation. I led a trail of small but promising flames, licking at the oxygen that flowed through this cold and starry night. To my right, I could make out the town through the scattering of oak trees. More screams ensued, followed by puffs and clouds of smoke that rose to the sky. It appeared Vendium had already started his part. The smoke was black, surprisingly visible in the night. I could feel the ground vibrate and shake, assuring the he really was doing his part. I wished I could join them, but I was on my own from here on out.

The track of fire behind me began to rise gradually, eventually licking the protruding branches above. Slowly but surely, the bark of the trees scorched and charred, then finally entirely alight. The shivering feeling in the air began to vanish, no longer cold, but warm. It felt comforting, but painful as well.

I knew this torch wasn't going to last forever, so I had to make haste. I ran through the fores, jumping over roots and stumps projecting from the ground. The flames followed, even blazing at the same pace I was going. Branch after branch, I ducked through under them, hitting my torch along the dieing bark of the trees to produce flying embers that will spark their own fire.

The path eventually came to a halt. It was a cross road, going a true left and a true right. To the right, the town, and the left, continuing to what I presumed was a path that would eventually lead into Canterlot . But dead center, a field, surrounded by low wooded fencing. There were acres upon acres of trees. Apple trees to be exact, huddled and woven closely together. In the middle, however, was a house, a house stylized like a red barn. I was only given the task of chaos, not murder, and I hoped it wouldn't get to it.

The torch was starting to give out the last of it's fuel. The fire was begging to give out and turn to ash. I had no choice, no time. With a swift jerk of my head, I flung the torch into the vast land of apple trees. A few moments passed, but nothing. Maybe it died out and smoked before it could set anything alight. Moments passed, but nothing. I couldn't tell where it was, other than it was lodged somewhere within bushels of leaves. I started to lose hope, and I would have to head into the town to join Wisteria and Vendium. I trotted at a slower pace than previously, making my way to the town on the dirt road.

A glowing aura snatched the attention of my eye from the corner of my peripheral vision, slightly blocked by my burned scarf. Smoke began to drift from the luscious green leaves of the trees and high above. In rapid succession, bright tongues of fire licked at the at the air, spreading out like a series of falling dominoes. I smiled, gazing at the blaze while my eyes reflected the warm light.

I began to make my way, but the fire began to spread at an alarming rate. The thought that there might be ponies still in the house tugged at my heart, but I couldn't do anything for them now. Too late to go back now, might as well mark a death on my conscience. I pulled and huddled my scarf over my mouth. The strong aroma of the rising ash began to creep my way. Looking away, finally about to leave, I heard a grunt. An equine stood a good distance from behind me. He was a large one as well, belittling me in size and mass. His eyes shone a raging green that reflected the brightness of the fire. His coat, however, was the most memorable. It resembled him being covered in blood, being a crimson red. Grounding his hooves into the soot ground, he taunted me by letting out a snarl of air from his nostrils, resembling an enraged bull.

I removed the scarf from my mouth, but kept it covering the top of my head. I examined him, wondering if he was going to make the move first. "Well?! What are you waiting for?!" My snide and impulsive reproach only made his eyes even further infuriated and his breathing harder. "I said what are you-"

Before I could finish, he was well on his way to me. His head lowered, keeping his face directed to the ground while his forehead waited to impale me. I spread my stance firm on the ground, trying to keep my center of mass closer to the ground. In an instance before I could make any other move, I felt the collision of his head to the cor of my neck. Pushing with relentless force, dragging my hooves and trailing endless dust from the ground, he pinned me against a burning tree. I could feel the full force of my back slamming against the tree. The slam whipped my head back, catching me further off guard and asphyxiating my mind from coming up with any reflexive thoughts. Still being pressed against what felt like a concrete wall, I pressed my hind legs against the ground in an attempt to pry myself off and give me some sort of chance against him. It didn't work. He pushed again, slamming me back once more. His head pulled up quickly, colliding with the bottom of my jaw. I could have sworn I heard something snap within my mouth.
He retreated for a second, allowing me to back off, only to ram me again, this time in my chest area. Blunt force went straight to my lungs. My breathing became more difficult, in conjunction with my barraged throat and the oxygen lacking air that surrounded us. I could feel something trickle in my mouth. The taste of blood became apparent, warm and tasting of metal. I smiled, letting the blood seep and ooze between my teeth, pouring out over my lips. I let out a slight chuckle, still being crushed, inevitably followed by a cough. I heaved out droplets of blood over the stallion's mane. He ignored it, continuing his battery without stop. I didn't know what to do next, so I swung my head to one side, crashing into his. He stopped, but only momentarily. It gave me enough time to squeeze my way out from between him and the tree. I presumed he was dazed, for when I strafed to to the right, he rammed to the tree once more, hoping I will be crushed again. I reared, waving my front hooves in the air, a rebuttal for my previous immobility. Shaking his head left and right to relieve some of the pain from his failed attack, he charged toward me. Blood started to flow from the top of his scalp, scaling down his already red fur, dampening it a dark shade of scarlet. His eyes squinted as if his daze affected his eyesight as well. Having my hooves still in the air, his snout clashed with the bottom of my hooves. I could feel a crunch, jolting up my limbs. I fell on my back, while he swayed slightly, pouring blood from his nostrils.

I rose, galloping away from him a quickly as I could. He, of course, followed me with yet another head-butt charged for me. I swerved left and right, hoping I could cause him to crash into another tree again. He dodged through the acres as swift as me. He was smarter than I thought, despite his brute size.

It was starting to become more difficult to see in this haze of smoke that started to lower and linger on the ground. Branch after branch, root after unforgiving root, I maneuvered my way over them, and unpleasantly so did he. I could hear his gargling breath get louder, assuming that he was in fact getting closer. The smoke began to fill my bleeding lungs. I started to be overcome with fatigue, and was beginning to slow down. I could sense his breathing only feet away from me, showing his great intention to kill me. My footing began to give out, making me stumble as we headed though the burning land. One small wrong footing, and I stumbled into a shallow but wide burrow in the ground. I felt my right hoof roll and mangle. A shock of pain surged like static. The red colt unavoidably rolled over my fallen body. I saw him reel with eccentric force, slamming skull first into a decade and blazing tree. I stared at him, forgetting about my sprained hoof. He laid still, with no sign of movement.

"Hey...*cough, cough*" I tried to call out, but it was troublesome to speak with my bruised throat. I could see his head move increments, fighting his way to get up. I was weary. I didn't wish to fight anymore. His legs began to lift his body off the ground, wobbling and shaking, but still with energy left. I didn't care what his next move was. I only wanted to lay here for a while.

A cracking sound came from above. One of the branches was giving out, snapping at the base. I payed my attention from the red colt stallion to the branch, hoping for any sort of usefulness would come out of it. I was right. Without warning, the branch slammed on his neck, bringing him downward with it. His body impacted the ground, leaving his neck contorted under the heaving branch. I couldn't feel any sort of relief from seeing this, believe it or not. A stallion, trying to defend what was precious to him, now perished. Blood leaked from his mouth, while his eyes were shut, giving no emotion from his motionless corpse. I wondered if I should stay here, to be consumed by my own fire. It felt like the best idea t the time. I began to close my eyes hoping for this to be over, but then, I saw.

I saw her face.

I saw her coat, an astonishing shaded orange.

I saw her mane, a brilliant gold.

I saw her eyes, an illuminated emerald green, flooded in tears.