There he was right in front of me. My own husband, my soulmate, trapped in a dragon body that wasn't his. But he felt so far away. We was in town hall, and my AJ was gettin' swarmed by everypony in town like bees on honey. I couldn't even hear my own cryin' none it was so loud in there. Ponies were yellin' and screamin', it was a mad hen house. But his big black and blue body was as still as a dead lamb as they all yanked their chains over him and kicked him in his belly and spat in his face.

Watchin' this, it felt like they was doin' all this to me. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't put our foal in danger! He looked in front of him, and tears were fallin' out of his big blue eyes as he panted for breaths. I knew the townsponies thought he was some kinda killer dragon, but I didn't think any creature they could humiliate quite like they were humiliating my husband right then. It hurt me that they'd ignored my pleading and didn't take my words for a darn, but it couldn't compare to seein' that loving creature in so much pain. All I wanted was to run up and hold his head. But I couldn't do nothin' but watch right then. And when he yelped out in pain, it done cut my soul in no way then anythin' done before. I couldn't help but remember how nice he'd been to all them, how important they was to him. But mostly how important he is to me. I felt my legs givin' out from under me. Why can't they see ya fer what you really are?

Now he was bein' held down by chains and ponies, but it went to a whole new level when somepony done lassoed a big chain around his neck. When they yanked the chain around his neck, his big body twitched and he coughed for air as desperate as a fish outta water. My heart was so heavy I actually fell to the floor. Suddenly all our happy memories together, just a simple cuddle in the orchard after a hard day's work, it only made it all that much more painful. I never thought it would come to this. I closed my eyes and turned my head away. Sugarcube... when are you gonna stop them? When are we gonna go home? He coughed and gasped. But I couldn't take it no more. I couldn't see no more of it.

"AJ!"

I called as loud as my voice would let me. The ponies in front of me that heard me turned around faster than bullwhips. Their expressions was of mighty confusion.

"What did you say?" muttered Royal Riff as he looked from me to my hubby. The noise died down a little bit from the silence of them ponies that had heard me while the others kept on their rootin' and tootin'. I reckon my hubby heard me too, he turned his sad blue eyes towards me. Ah'm sorry honey. But ah' can't watch this no more! I didn't care if Discord found out. He couldn't do any worse then it was then. I went to end it all right then and there, and tell them all that that dragon was my husband and that Discord was behind it.

But right then, that's when it happened. Amidst all the yelling and the screamin', there came from outta the north a horrible sound, like a roar coming in from the sky that shook the valley. It barely got to my ears, and a lot of ponies missed it, but I sure heard it.  My heart dropped. I knew it wasn't from no AJ. What was that?? Apparently AJ heard it too, because layin' on his side he looked his head up at the roof and his teary blue eyes got wide with fear and his mouth dropped open. It was a moment I ain't never gonna forget, 'cause ain't nopony but me hardly saw it comin'. But suddenly there was a great orange glow and a big loud crack like a whip, and before I knew it the top of the gazeebo was blasted off. Little flamin' pieces of wood rained down on all us ponies. Well they done know that they was in it now. We all looked up, and soaring over the top of us was a big shadowy black figure with an outline that matched AJ to a T.

"Another one??" cried Bon Bon as everypony screamed. It was all happenin' so fast I couldn't hardly think none. I knew I had to step out of the way of that smokin' piece of roof that almost landed square on my head.

"Run!!" cried another pony. The crowd erupted in screams and stampeded through the door, but there wasn't no safety out there neither. I looked up and saw the big black shadow flying in from another direction and a stream of fire came shootin' outta his mouth that lit up the whole sky and city. It blasted into one of the town homes and just like that turned it into nothin' but a big campfire.

"Oh jumpin' junebugs!!" I said. It hit me right then finally what was goin' on. That there was the northern shortneck. Well, the other northern shortneck I reckon. The bad one. The one that deep fried Trottingham, and now he was about to deep fry Ponyville. Suddenly my thoughts all turned to one thing; my family. I didn't have to watch them beatin' up on my AJ no more, but this here was maybe just as bad. My heart still cried out for some kinda relief. Where's Granny Smith? Big Macintosh? Just then I spotted the other dragon, my dragon layin' right in front of me as the flames crawled down the walls. He was struggling to get up, but he looked weak from the beating and weighed down by them chains.

"AJ!" I cried as I ran up to him. I threw myself down at his head and looked him in his weary eyes. All I could think about was how much I loved him and how badly I wanted to be helpin' him. I did my best to look at him and show him how much I did love him, because I know that's his best remedy to be gettin' better. He moaned and laid his head back down. "Let me get these chains off of you," I cried, but just as I went to do that I heard a crack from above and a saw a burning red hot two by four comin' straight for us. My heart dropped and I covered my eyes and waited, but just as it came down, AJ whipped his big leathery wing out over top of me like an umbrella and those flames bounced off it like flies on a bull.

Applejack, get out of here!

"No, ah' can't leave you here!"

I reached around his neck and loosened that doozy of a chain up and threw it aside with my mouth like a wrangling rope while poor AJ touched his claw to his throat and coughed. Then I stood up and went to pull the rest of them chains off him. I walked over but there was flamin' pieces of wood on top of them where they was on the ground. I gave one of them burning piles of wood a good buck as quick as a shake of a sheep's tail, but my hooves was done burnt just a little bit when I kicked it.

"Ouch!!!" I cried. But I wasn't havin' none of it. I couldn't let my AJ get hurt. I went to kick some more wood off, but that time it just hurt even more. And I looked overhead and saw more embers comin' down on me. I yelped as some of them landed on me and jumped into my hubby's back. Even with them smooth scales, he was so warm and comfortable I just wanted to stay there, but I knew I couldn't. Then I heard him roar. I ran back to his head and looked him in the eye, and they was pleading with me.  

Applejack... You have to leave and you know it!

"No, ah' ain't gonna leave you by yerself," I said angrily though I loved him to death. But he just looked me in the eye, and I couldn't help but listen in my heart. Don't talk like that, Applejack. You know you can't stay here. I'm fireproof! I'll be alright.  Only in the tensest, most heart thromping, pain having moments can we understand each other this. I ain't never quite understood it, how our magic works together, but it was no time to be ponderin' it.

"Where should ah' go?" I said as lifted his head up in my arms, and the only reason I was leaving was 'cause he was right, he was fireproof. And because deep down I knew I had to protect myself because of what was inside of me. I looked him in the eye, and he ain't never failed at givin' me strength with his eyes. Right here was just the same. They was weary and anxious, but they was full of love and care. Just go and get to safety. Get the family out of here. See if you can find Twilight and Apple Bloom and tell them all what Discord has done. As soon as I can, I'll find you; just get out of this building!

"But if ah' do that, then he won't ever change ya back," I said, looking his body over, his wings, his claw, his tails, his whole darn self. I didn't care no more, I knew it was still AJ, but I knew he did. I suppose I tried to understand his situation, and I felt his pain inside me, but I couldn't quite picture exactly what he was goin' through. He just wanted to be a good father for his foal. I knew he thought about holding his foal in his arms. You know... his human arms. Even if he did like some of the perks of being a dragon. I don't think anything can stop that now, Applejack.

I stopped talkin' and bit my hoof. His eyes had done welled up with shame.

"Hey, don't you feel guilty, ya here? We know this wasn't yer fault," I whispered to him. "Ah' still love you, sweetheart! We gonna make the most of this. But you can't be blamin' yerself."

He nodded his head up and down with his sad expression, but it was as if he accepted it nonetheless. Among all the screaming and the burning that was all around us, we was havin' one of our silent moments. But right then, laying on his side, after all the horrible beating he just got, he looked at me and actually managed a smile. It made me happy to see him smile, so I smiled and nodded my head and up down too. Then he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, and pulled his tucked right front leg up from out under his belly. He opened his eyes and started to slowly stand up. My strength is coming back...   

The flames was almost all chokin' up that whole building by then, and when I looked up I suddenly heard all the sounds of screaming ponies and burning buildings and what not, and that shadowy black figure was shooting rivers of fire from his mouth across the town. And that's when the last part of the roof came crashing down beside us. I reckoned AJ was right, we was gonna have to finish this conversation later, 'cause my hide ain't fireproof like his.

"What'r you gonna do?" I cried. AJ looked at me and roared with eyes as wide and pleading as a puppy, pleading for me to get out of there. I reckoned it was that time too. But I was still worried about him, but last I saw of him was he was standing up and pulling his chains off in his mouth as I trotted around the flames and through the smoke right on out into the streets.

But my anxiety sure ain't had it's fill just yet. I was back out in the streets now, and ponies was running and screaming all around me, and under the starry sky the city torched like a campfire. Princesses, where are you? I thought as my eyes beheld the horror that lay in front of them. I saw that dark figure shooting his fire over top like some kinda angel of darkness. I spotted one way he sure was different from AJ; he had these two evil-looking eyes that were the color of his horrid breath.

"Our homes are burning!" cried somepony, a mare.

"Everypony make for the river!" cried another young stallion. I couldn't hardly make out all the other things ponies was shouting. Other ponies were calling out for their families. My seein' got blurry for a second; I ain't sure if that was from the tears or some of my sweat drippin' into my eyes. I reckon my face was soaked in it. This here was the town of my birth. The town I was raised in. It may have made my heart heavy in the moments leadin' up, but this town was still nearly a part of who I am, though much moreso Sweet Apple Acres. This town had been through a lot I reckon, but seein' it on fire was a whole new kinda deal. Suddenly my heart cried out for my own family as I was suddenly worried beyond all worries for them. I started lookin for red and green.

"Big Mac? Granny Smith?" I called as I raced around in all directions.

"Applejack!" said a familiar girly voice. I swung around and there was my friend Rarity. "Why didn't you tell us?" she yelled as she looked around with horror.

"You'll know why soon enough girl!" I replied. She screamed good and loud and girly when she got a look at the evil dragon in the sky. With a mouth wide open, she started to talk again.

"Is that-?"

"That's not AJ," I said as we both froze, but then I started lookin' around again. "But Rarity, you gotta help me find Big Macintosh and Granny Smith!!"

I looked and looked, in every direction I saw ponies running and screaming and unrecognizable buildings up in flames. My family was on my mind. Whereareyou? Whereareyou?? In the back of my mind, it occurred to me that this here was all the plot of Discord, but this wasn't the time to be worryin' about him. I had to bite what food was in front of me right then.

"Applejack look out!" cried Rarity as large group of ponies nearly stampeded me 'fore I jumped out the way. I reckoned they were all heading for the river, maybe the only safe spot in this firestorm. But I didn't see no red stallion or old green mare in that there crowd. On top of all that, I was still worried about AJ and whether or not he made it out. But at least I knew he was fireproof. He'll be safe, he's in the right body for this kinda thing! But I sure as heck ain't. I looked down and remembered that my belly for the moment was a sacred place, alright. And I had to protect my foal.

"Applejack, let's head for the river!" said my friend.

"Big Mac! Granny!" I called one more time, desperate for answer. The situation was such that I could hardly think straight of course, but I did have a thought. Maybe they already done escaped? I hated not knowin' for sure, but if they had it would be real blunt of me to be stayin' there.

"Applejack, look!"

I looked at where she was pointing, and running towards us was none other than my big brother with my granny on his back and right beside him, Cheerilee with a couple of fillies on her back. I held my breath; I was relieved at first, but when I saw what was comin' from behind them, I nearly died. That dragon came to view, his belly glowing from the light of the town, flying in from behind them. I could make out his orange eyes, he had some kinda wicked sneer as he keyed on my family. I was standin' smack in the middle of the street, and there they was in front of me inside walls of burning homes and hay. Just then, a group of disoriented-lookin' ponies came running towards me.

"Applejack? Rarity?" said one of them, Lyra Heartstrings. They all looked to me as some kinda leader, even though the pickle I was in just moments before!

"Ya'll get to the river!" I told them and pointed my hoof towards down the street. They nodded and galloped off that way, and I looked over at Rarity. She didn't need to be gettin' burned. "You too! Git!"

"I'm not leaving until you come with me!" she screamed. We both turned to look at my family, and they was almost to us finally.

"Run!" yelled Big Macintosh. I felt hind quarters easing on back step by step, but I felt myself waiting for them to make sure they was ok. I saw the bridge where the river runs just down yonder the street where we was. We could join up and go there together, then AJ can fly us outta here! The dragon sent a mighty bit flames from his mouth that seemed to come smashing down the street, chasing my brother and granny - Cheerilee and her fillies too - from behind.

"Come on!" I shouted, they reached me and the four of us ran together down the street. I didn't wanna run too fast for well, you know why, but when I looked behind I saw a wall of fire heading straight for us. As we came up on that river I felt red hot on my flank and just barely saved my tail; we leaped into the river just in a lick of time!

I came up breathing hard, and first I was lookin' for my family. The first thing I done noticed was a whole bunch of pony heads comin' up and spittin' out water; I couldn't tell how many of us was in there, maybe most of the town? Why, there was couples young and old huggin' each other, parent's holdin' their youngins (but thankfully it seemed a good lot of 'em were in Canterlot). I looked just beside me and saw my family come up just I had. We'd made it... for now. I looked up and didn't see any sign of the evil dragon nearby. So I turned to my family.

"Swim outta here! Ya hear?" I shouted to my brother and granny. They nodded their heads before they looked at me and held out their hooves.

"You're comin' too!" said Big Macintosh.

"No ah' ain't, not till-"

Before I could even finish my talkin', I was interrupted. We all were. We heard a sound of rushing wind and flapping wings, and we all turned our eyes towards the bridge. It was only a hundred hooves from us or so. There was lots of us ponies soaked in the water, but no a daggone one of them had a comfortable face on. While I sunk my nose into the water, we all froze while the big black and blue dragon with the flaming eyes came and perched himself on the top of the bridge. He gripped his big claws on it and let his tail swoosh around in the water behind the bridge, and gave all of us on this side of his gaze one humdinger of a nasty smile.

Worst of all, though, he was lookin' smack at me. Not Rarity, not Big Mac, not Granny, not any one of them other ponies. Just me. I was back to bein' mighty scared of course as my heart dropped all the way into my belly. I looked in the sky and hoped for his identical twin; my husband, save the eyes of course. He stopped his staring at me for a quick sec, lookin' mean like down and around at his terrified company. It was too bad nearly all of us was on one side of that bridge. We was safe from the flames so long as we ducked under, but not safe from the dragon's teeth or his claws.

"Well," he muttered, spitting his tongue out at us. He had a deep and strong voice, but smooth as apple skin. And let me tell you, it wasn't no sugar to the ears. "It seems the miserable inhabitants of Ponyville are smarter than their Trottingham counterparts. The unlucky ones fought my fire with not but their hide."

   At the sound of his remark, we was all shakin' with fear. I huddled up with my brother and granny, and huddled up on his left was Cheerilee and on my right was my friend Rarity. I was so scared I could hardly think none. But in the back of my mind, I knew him bein' here was Discord's doing. AJ, ah' need you right now! His fiery mean eyes came to mine again, and I nearly died right then.

"You*," he spat while his mouth curled into an evil little grin, showing them teeth. I couldn't believe it. Why was I singled out? This just was not my evenin'. I was too scared and too confused to say nothin'. Meanwhile, everypony in the river turned their eyes on me. A few them tried to sneak their way out up the bank to escape town I reckon, but the dragon saw them and shot his terrible eyes on them in a flash.

"I don't remember asking you to leave!" he bellowed, and the couple of young ponies - I saw one of them was Carrot Top, an orange mare - they sank right back down into the river, and they looked like they wasn't gonna be tryin' to do that again anytime soon. He glared them down something awful, before he smiled again. "Unless, of course, it is your desire to be the first course."

Well... ah' ain't dead yet. I took a deep breath and a gulp. I was gonna be as nice as possible to this feller as I could be. Even that took courage, though I knew he would be comin' back to me.  So as soon as he turned his head, I poked my head up out the water and spoke up.

"What does a scary dragon like yerself want with this here town? Ah' reckon if you want us to leave ya alone, we ponies would be happy to oblige, ain't that right?" I said to all them around me with the most uncomfortable laugh ever. It also took courage seein' as how we all dreaded the answer. The dragon stared at me and smirked, he way knew too much, I could see it in his eyes. I reckon Discord had told him about me or somethin'. He cackled, and when he cackled, it came out bigger, louder, and scarier than when a pony cackles.

"You are the one, aren't you? You are the one who is dwelling with a foul human," he chuckled, and make no mistake, he was mocking me alright. And I knew how wrong he was, and for a moment right then I actually pitied him, not knowing the magic that me and AJ got together, but I couldn't say nothin' about it of course. Suddenly though, mid sentence, his smile faded, and his eyes were swelling with anger and maybe jealousy. "He's nothing but lucky that that wretched coward chose him to turn, but I assure you he is nothing* compared to me."

I sank down in the water again, so just my nose and my eyes and the top of my country head was stickin' out. I tried to put it all together as quick as I could, I realized he was talkin' about Discord turning my husband into himself. But the dragon then turned to the rest of Ponyville in the river, and he wasn't too happy.

"And the rest of you, you think I did not know?" he yelled, and we all was shakin' scared. But there was one pony that had had enough. Or was at least tryin' to sound brave. Somepony I didn't even see was in there with us.

"Know what?" shouted none other than Rainbow herself. She was just a couple ponies over from us, but when she flew up out of the water and challenged that dragon face to face, she was easy to spot. The dragon smiled something awful at her, and he looked about ready to torch her where she floated, her wings keeping her in one place.

"Rainbow, why didn't you just fly away?" Rarity whispered mighty loud; everypony could hear her, save maybe the dragon.

"Loyalty?" said the pegasus, turning her head for a second. I gotta say, it was certainly was both brave and loyal of her to be there with us, her friends. But the dragon sneered.

"A certain moron who is not so powerful as he thinks was wise enough to tell me of your plans to plunder my treasure," he said, and he looked around the city at his flames that climbed high on up into the sky. "Which is why I decided to pay you all the pleasure of my company. Perhaps now you have realized it is an idiot's idea to steal from me."

"Yeah?" said Rainbow trying to be tough, but she was definitely a mite bit scared, despite her words you could hear it in her throat with every one. "Well, you're not so big. We've seen dragons a lot bigger than you before!"

He did not like that. Not one bit. His eyes narrowed and a fearsome growl slithered out of his throat and through his teeth, but without moving he just stayed perched on the bridge and inched his head forward a little before he came back to a smirk.

"Big enough to have eaten four ponies last night," he said, and I reckon it had the effect that he wanted; everypony gasped with horror at the sound of it, and Rainbow's expression from what I could see turned to mighty shock and sadness. We didn't know who they were, but they was four mother's foals they were. It hit us all mighty hard, we ain't used to a lot death here in the harmony of Equestria.

"Uh, Rainbow? You wanna come back down to the water?" I whispered, a mite bit worried.  

"Good idea," she said, and she fell back in with a splash.

The dragon's eyes went from her to me, and he chuckled again and looked right at me. That villain Discord! How could he send this dragon to us? It was so strange, seein' this evil creature and knowing my hubby looked just him. But the difference was that AJ's good soul shined through anyway through his eyes and his playfulness. This feller, though, boy howdy. He's the reason why dragons ain't got such a good reputation 'round these parts.

"Curious," he said, staring at me, "that weakling hasn't abandoned you yet, not with all his power. How much has it changed him... corrupted him?"

"It ain't done nothin'," I said, though despite my words, let me tell you I was mighty scared. But I can't speak nothin' but the truth about my hubby. It gave me strength knowin' that he was still the same adorable human on the inside. And that dragon couldn't do nothin' about it. I was standin' for him all the way through.

"As if it matters," he said, with a mighty serious look, drawing his head back into his wings. We didn't like the looks of that. It looked like he was gettin' ready to do something, sure as death. We all huddled in a little closer, and he paused for a moment, with the eyes of a hunter. AJ, ah' need you! I looked above him, but there was no sign of him. I hoped with all my heart he'd come. It was all I had left.

"I will end him. Right after an especially excellent meal!" He spread his wings and extended his body out over the bridge towards us, his mouth open wide.

*                    *                    *

Come on... get... offf!! I was down to the last chain that was wrapped around my belly and over my back, but thankfully not my wings. The building was burning down all around me, but whenever a burning piece of wood fell on my smooth scales, it just fell right off without so much as a burn or a mark of any kind. I had slithered my way out of the other three chains or so, but this one was the hardest. Ugh, did somebody hook it to the wall?? I bit my mouth around it and pulled as hard as I could, and it must've been tied to the side wall because I ripped out part of the building with it, sending me crashing clumsily to the ground. I bit it one more time and pulled, but now it was caught between me and all of the large, fallen parts of the roof. Come on! I was operating at super speed, even with my strength just now finally starting coming back, or so it felt like. I knew that every second was of the utmost importance. I had to get out and save Applejack, and it was the most anxious and intense I had been since the incident in Manehattan. I ripped the chain one more time in my mouth; it tore through the shattered wood and loosened enough around my belly that I was able to lift my claw up and walk backwards out of it.

I made the stupidest decision of my life going down there, but thankfully the situation - knowing that Applejack was in danger - allowed me to hone in on that instead of remembering it. I let my anger get the best of me, and I crashed that meeting alright. I was happy to be a dragon when I went in there, but for the wrong reasons. I got choked, spat on, kicked, humiliated... But the worst part wasn't getting humiliated in front of everypony. Sure, it was terribly embarrassing having everypony see me like this, but the worst part was embarrassing Applejack. I used to think to myself, what will everypony say when they find out she's married to a dragon? That's not fair to her! A human, at least I'm almost her size! It made me want to torch Discord, but instead I nearly took it out on all of Ponyville.

Despite the beating I took, my body actually felt pretty good after a few moments of rest. I have to admit; this new body, as weird as I felt in with all it's "peculiar" aspects, did make me feel a lot stronger in protecting Applejack. But the most weakening punishment was the choking; my neck and throat were still a little sore, and I was still a little winded, but with each minute that went by the muscles in my limbs seemed to feel better and better and I got more breath. But that didn't matter. I was free now, and I couldn't wait around. It was do or die time, and my heart, my mind, my soul, and my strength were focused on rescuing Applejack and getting her to safety, along with the rest of the Apple family, and if I had time, as many Ponyville ponies as I could.

I honed in on my back muscles and spread my wings, and took one deep breath to get all the focus I could muster. Husband and father first. I looked up at the stars and launched myself off my four strong legs. Now where is that dragon? I beat my wings furiously and climbed high, and in a few short seconds I was just over the rooftops of Ponyville. I swung my head around furiously, looking for both the dragon and Applejack, but I saw only the towering flames that consumed nearly every building and house in Ponyville. But being still new to dragonhood and not the best at controlling myself in the air, I nearly crashed into the burning rooftop besides what had once been town hall. Whoa! I wasn't good at hovering, I never really practiced it and I couldn't do both that and find Applejack from the air. Alright, gotta fly forward. Tail straight!

I let myself fall to the ground but immediately spread my wings wide and let them catch air. I was good at gliding, now I just had to glide faster. But I had to get higher so I could see more. I looked up and nearly crashed right into another roof top but I flapped my wings just in time and raised over it. I looked around but just saw flames. Come on, higher AJ! Amidst my frantic efforts, in the back of my mind I pieced together that that dragon must've been sent here by Discord. Why else would he have made me look just like him? My anger seethed at him, but I shoved it aside because I couldn't let anything get in the way of my getting to Applejack. I flapped my wings and climbed even higher. I didn't even notice the wind in my face or the fast speed at which I was flying. I flew over the rooftops and stuck my head down, but I didn't see anypony. Applejack, where are you? I started to wonder, with great hope, that maybe she escaped. In a moment I made the decision to fly to the edge of town and start a counter-clockwise circle.

Suddenly, at about six hundred feet high as I reached the edge of town and began to circle back around, my heart cried out, and my soul froze; it was Applejack. AJ, ah' need you!

"No!" I attempted to cry, though it came out as a mere roar of course. Now I was in a state of the most intense panic I had ever been in. Where are you?? She had called out to me. The most beloved being there ever was, the mare whom I'd spent everyday of the last two and a half years with. The mare whom I had given my whole self. After all the wondrous moments we'd had, and the burning love that I have for her, she was about to perish! I'd been through this all before in Manehattan, but this was even scarier seeing as how I hadn't even seen her.

But just as darkness and fear started choking me, my eyes widened; I saw amidst the flames a curious sight in the middle of Ponyville. Perched atop one of the stone bridges was a large black creature with neon blue stripes. I could see two unmistakable flaming orange eyes on the creature's head. Make no mistake, I knew right away what I saw. It was my identical counterpart, the nameless northern shortneck himself.

Suddenly my heart hardened, and my eyes narrowed with rage. I didn't know where this guy was from or why exactly he was here besides some crazy Discord scheme. I was even very scared at the thought of him coming, and I cowered at the thought of fighting him before. But all that fear melted away, for I knew two all-important things, the only things I needed to know; he was evil, and he was threatening Applejack. For Applejack, I could become a real dragon, if only to save her from another one. I focused hard and bent my wings so the back of them came up and I could descend. I couldn't even hardly think. I was acting on pure anger. I will show this guy faithful.

I remembered that one time with Apple Bloom when I curled my wings and it shot me forward like a slingshot. I did just that; I curled them in a little bit and I shot forward with intense velocity. I was going to cut him off from the side. The wind rushed furiously through my face, but I remained focused on him harder than a hawk on it's prey. In my peripheral vision, the houses and the flames rapidly got bigger and bigger as I came shooting down through. Everything else in the world seemed to stop. I had one task, and the consequences weren't even an after thought. No holding back. I blasted mercilessly over the rooftops and spread my wings just a tiny bit for balance. I opened up all four of my claws for him. He was moving forward off the bridge as I came in. He noticed me at the last second, his eyes widened, but he was too late. Closer, and... BOOM!