The sky was filled with black smoke. Fire rages on around a scientific facility as researchers and scientists flee for their lives. All but one was trying to escape the blaze. A little boy who walked through the fire as if it were nothing. Dressed in a white shirt and pants, he walked barefoot through the burning building, ignoring the screams for help and pain with those stuck under rubble or being burned by the indiscriminate flames. A wicked grin on his face and a fiery flame for revenge in his eyes.

    “Burn them all...leave nothing but ash…”

    They boy says before giggling eerily. After he made it outside, there was a firing squad out waiting for him, ten men with guns drawn on him.

    “Fire at will!”

    Shouted the man in the suit behind him. But before a single bullet could even leave the barrel, right when they pull the trigger, their guns explode and the metal shrapnel digs into their face, blinding them as well. The boy looks to his left and holds up his left hand, when he does, a stream of fire makes it’s way to him through the air and increases in size rather quickly. He then thrusts his hand out in front of him, the fire moving directly towards the armored men and consuming them quickly. The screams of pain and agony ring through the air as they burn. The boy then continues  on his way,pulling up a pistol that had been laying on the ground. Not hesitating to shoot the now running man in the back of the leg to immobilize him. He falls to the ground in pain, screaming out for help that would never come. He turns over to see that he was staring down the barrel of a gun, with that dark sinister grin on the little boy’s face.

    “See you in hell, Mr. Tachikawa.”

    The pistol goes off, the man drops dead, bleeding from his forehead, the dream ends abruptly.

--Dorm Of Student #421 'Azrael'--

    Azrael’s eyes shoot open. He quickly sits up, the blankets flying off of his body, his breathing quick and short. He looks around his dorm and places a hand on his forehead, letting out a sigh of annoyance.

    “Why won’t you just leave me be…?”

    He asked himself before standing up and walking into his bathroom. He turns on the sink and gets the cold water going, taking two handfuls of it and splashing his face to get him awake and to also cool down from the heat his body had generated from the nightmare. After he was finished, he walks out of the bathroom after turning off the water and walks over to his table and plops down in front of it, grabbing the tv remote and turns it on. Nothing special was on, just the usual crazy new that was happen in this crazy city. Something about a level zero esper having taken down some powerful magician or whatever.. He sighs and gets up after a while. He walks back into his bathroom and jumps in for a quick shower, then comes back out and dries himself off. He looks at the TV screen, still the same boring news. He gets dressed in his usual attire, a black button up long sleeve shirt and black baggy cargo pants. He walks into the kitchen and opens his fridge, seeing that he only had a few eggs and a bit of bacon left, he grumbles, annoyed again.

    “Money isn’t an issue...I just hate going to the store.”

    He took out what was left and began preparing the food like he was a natural born chef. In fact if you looked around his dorm, it was rather well kept for a high school male. Clean floors, trash was always taken out on time, he always aired out his mattress every week or so, and he even had a job. Nothing special, just as a clerk in a used book store. Hardly anyone ever goes in, so all he does is just read. Yes, this was his daily routine. Wake up, school, work, come home, and sleep. There we times where other kids from schools would invite him to parties or get-togethers. Azrael just gave a warm smile and said “Sure.”.

    Not many people associate with him at school though. He has a small tight knit group of friends, or so they claim to be that hang out with him. Though he is the quietest of the bunch. Others didn’t want to be near him because of his ability. He is a level four esper, one that has complete control of fire. He can bend it to his will, make it take any form he wishes, and do as he wishes with it. But having that kind of destructive power along with his psychotic tendencies make him a scary customer. Luckily they are only triggered when he is in complete rage or in a combat situation that he feels is life threatening. When his calm state fades, those around him better run and hide. He’d burn everything to the ground if he so chose to. Azrael did have a way to vent out his violent side though. Whenever he wasn’t at school or work, he takes to the streets at night and creates murals out of various spray paints on the walls that are still barren. He creates mainly blue fire blazing along the night sky in his work. He felt like he was ‘leaving his mark on the city’ when he did this. It made him feel like he existed. After all, he had no family, no real name. He was just...Azrael. A name that was given to him by his peers because of the cold chills he would give people when he stared at them.

    It was now 2PM in the afternoon, he had lazed about his dorm the whole morning simply because he wanted to. He did not have school to worry about since they were now in their winter break. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have to go to work. Nope,he still had a job to do. Not that he minded though. Reading was a way to pass the time, and there was plenty to read in that building. He gets his black and white shoes on, grabs his black and white striped scarf and wraps it around his neck, though he didn’t need a jacket...for obvious reasons. He walks out of his dorm, locking the door behind him and places the key in his pocket along with his other belonging. Cellphone, wallet, and especially his zippo lighter. All the necessities.

    Ask he walks along the sidewalk on the way to work, he gets the attention of some of the girls only high school kids. Some of them smile and wave to him, others look at him with a bit of uncertainty. He doesn’t make eye contact with them, he just resumes his walk to work.

    “He is pretty handsome don’t you think?”

    “I don’t know...I have heard rumors that he is a pretty scary guy. He is a level four esper. I am not sure what his ability is, but if he is ranked that high, I don’t know if I would want to be caught in a match with him.”

    “Oh come on girls...he may be a little frightening. But I have also heard that he is the one going around and spray painting those beautiful murals all over town. A guy who can create art like that can’t be all bad...right?”

    Azrael just walked on and on, ignoring the gossip and talk of not only him, but just everything in general. Suddenly his ears pick up the sounds of sobbing, he shifts him eyes in the direction of a little boy who was crying, his mother trying to comfort him. Azrael elts out a small sigh and walks over to them. The mother sees him approach and becomes a little scared, but blinks as he crouched down in front of the little boy and smiles,placing a hand on his head.

    “Hey little guy? What’s the matter?”

    He asked in a calm tone, trying to find out what had happened.

    “I-I-I lost my balloon...it’s tuck in the tree and mommy can’t reach it…”

    He said between sobs. Azrael looked up and saw the red balloon stuck between the branches, luckily it hadn’t popped. He looks down and smiles again.

    “Well now, you just sit tight and I will be back with it.”

    “H-.how are you going to get it down?”

    Just sit back and watch.”

    He said as he stood up and observed the tree in front of him. His eyes scanned it thoroughly and soon enough found a path up. He gets a running start up the tree, latching onto one of it’s branches and swings himself up, leaping from one side to the other and grabbing the balloon carefully by the string and prys it loose without any damage to it. He then leaps down into the snow and walks over to the little boy who has this look of amazement of joy on his face.

    “Woooooow...thank you so much mister!”

    Azrael smiled and took the his wrist, ying the string around it in a secured knot and stands back up.

    “There you go, now it can’t fly away.”

    He said in a triumphant tone, placing his hands on his hips to emphasis. The mother blinks at him, but smiles and bows to him.

    “Thank you so much young man. You are a very kind soul to do that even though you didn’t have to.”

    “Not a problem. You two be careful now.”

    He said as he continued his walk to work.

    “Thanks again, mister!!!”

    Shouted the boy, waving his hand frantically in goodbye with a big smile on his face.

--Akabane’s Used Books--

    Azrael walks into the bookstore, hanging his scarf up on the nearby coat rack and makes his way to the back of the facility.

    “Mrs. Akabane, I am here for the day!”

    A kindly older woman walks out from the back office and smile happily at Azrael, she quickly makes her way outside of her office and gently places her hands on his cheeks.

    “Oooh good to see you again, Azrael! I was starting to wonder if you would make it in today!”

    “Yeah, had a little complication on the way here. Sorry.”

    “Oh knowing you, you probably stopped to help someone. It’s alright. Have you been eating well? You look like you have lost a bit of weight!”

    “Yes ma’am. I have been eating right. I just...don’t like going to the store is all. I felt like people just stare at me all the time when I go there. The weight of their gazes exhaust me a bit.”

    This old woman is the only one who knows about his past. Azrael saw her as sort of a mother figure. Sometimes she’s come by his dorm room and offer him a fully home cooked meal when she had made too much. Or even accompany him on store trips to help him feel more at ease.

    “Well, don’t you worry about it, sweetheart. I am closing the store tomorrow, and I would be happy to accompany to the store and help you with your groceries. May granddaughter will be joining me as well. She would be rather happy to see you. I think she has a thing for you.”

    She said teasingly, though Azrael only smiled.

    “I don’t think it would be wise for her to get mixed up with me, Mrs. Akabane. I won’t lie, she is pretty cute. But I just don’t think we would be a match.”

    “Oh well you never know, things just might change for the better you know!”

    Azrael lets out a light chuckle.

    “Is there anything specific you need me to do in here today?”

    “Might I ask you to just dust the shelves and sweep the floors for me? After that feel free to read and help any customers that come in today.”

    “Consider it done. I will get started right away.”

    “Thank you dear. I will leave you in charge of the store while i am gone. I need to go and pick up a few things and get some errands done.”

    “Yes ma’am. You can count on me.”

--A Few Hours Later--

    Azrael sat in the chair behind the clerk desk with a medical book in his hands, a book on how to treat various wounds and injuries so that his hospital bill wouldn’t be so high. Since he has scars from his upper back all the way don to his legs. That’s right, with his power, came a sense of cockiness. And that has got him into a hospital bed many times. While he was reading, the door opens and the bell above it rings, he lowers the book just enough that his eyes ca.n see over it.

    “Welcome to Akabane’s Used Book Store. Let me know if you need anything.”

    He notices that the figure was wearing a long coat buttoned up and a hood over her head.

    “And lose the hood,I don’t take kindly to shady people here.”

    The figure looks his direction and shakes her head. He doesn’t react yet, but keeps a close eye on her. He closes the book and gets up,walking around the desk and meets her around the corner of a bookshelf she seemed to be hiding behind.

    “I said, lose the hood. Or hand over that book you have there and leave my establishment. My boss may be kind hearted, but I don’t take lightly to thieves.”

    The figure looks up at him from the shadow of her hood. Everything was quiet for a moment, until she slammed into him and pushed him out of the way, heading out the door.

    "You wanna play runner huh? I got your game right here..."

    He says in a sinister tone as he leaps up and chases after her. He runs out the door of the shop and immediately is hot on her heels, well hooves in this case. But, he wasn’t aware of that. Azrael and the figure ran down the street and through a few alleyways. She’d teleport through the obstacles and he would simply parkour over them, still keeping up with her no problem at all. Soon she gets to another alleyway and turns in it, but when she does, a wall of fire fifteen feet tall appears in her way. She stops,nearly running face first into it. She turns around to see her pursuer walking closer to her with a wicked smile, flipping the cap of some kind of metal object up and down as he approaches.

    “Dead end, sweetheart. Now if you don’t want to be burned along with that book, I suggest you hand it over and be on your way…”

    The figure looks around desperately for a way out. But then opens up a small portal that she then jumps through.

    “Oh no you don’t!”

    He said taking off at full dead sprint, tackling her when she was in mid jump and flying through the portal with her.  The figure clung to the book for dear life as they tumbled through.

--Ponyville Library, The Golden Oak.--

    The portal opens and the two are thrown out in separate directions. Azrael tumbles to the left, the figure tumbles to the right, he hood falling off in the process. Azrael quickly gets up , sparkling his lighter and creates a flame that now roared within his right hand. He looks around at his new surrounds to see he was in a...library of sorts? And everything was more….colorful and vibrant than it should be. He looks over to the figure who he could now see clearly, A lavender unicorn who was recovering from her fall, stared wide eyed at Azrael.

    “Oooh no….you aren’t supposed to be here…”

    And just what in the name of the seven circles of Hell are you…? And what the hell do you want with that book?

    Yep...this is where it all started, right here in this very library. The story of a certain psychotic pyro.