Twilight Sparkle and Spike were being brought by chariot back to Ponyville from Canterlot. Private Nightshade and Private First Class Cosmic were her escorts, pulling the chariot through the air at great speed, and making excellent time. With Wingston's request for their help in the Ashen Fields, Twilight was excited to get every pony together, and tell them of this massive undertaking. Ponyville was in sight, Nightshade and Cosmic brought the chariot in for a landing, circling off to the edge of Ponyville before cutting in just outside the Golden Oakes Library to drop off Twilight and Spike. The chariot touched the ground, rumbling to a stop, before a sudden lurch forward that signaled a complete stop. Cosmic unhooked himself from the chariot reigns, walking around the side of the chariot to open the door for them.
"Thanks for the lift guys." Twilight said stepping off the chariot.
"Don't mention it, Ms. Sparkle. Anything is better than guarding an empty room all day." Cosmic replied happily.
"What about sitting through one of Shining Armor's lectures about proper armor cleaning?" Nightshade asked thinking about something else that would be equally as boring.
"Almost anything." Cosmic corrected himself.
With Twilight and Spike on solid ground. Cosmic hitched himself back to the reigns, turning the cart around before building up some speed to take off once more. Twilight and Spike waved goodbye to Nightshade and Cosmic who soared off into the sky to return to Canterlot. Opening the door to the Golden Oakes Library, Twilight walked in with Spike quickly rushing passed her to pack his things. Although, Twilight had other plans for him as her horn started to glow a bright purple, and her magic picking Spike off the ground bringing him back towards her.
"You're going to need to tell Applejack, Rainbow Dash and the others about this letter, Spike." Twilight said making the letter appear out of thin air with her magic.
"Why do I have to do it?" Spike asked taking the letter; Twilight's magic setting him down.
"Would you rather be the dragon packing everything I'm going to need for this trip?" Twilight asked curiously.
"I think I'll start over at Rarity's place first." Spike said quickly jogging off in a hurry.
Spike didn't make it far before having to stop to catch his breath. Deciding to walk with a brisk pace to Rarity's place, Spike felt his heart start to beat faster and faster as he got closer to the Carousel Boutique; Rarity's home and shoppe. Before knocking on the door, Spike licked his claws and smoothed down his scales. Clearing his throat he pushed opened the door and started in.
"Hey Rarity!" Spike said aloud waltzing in.
"Is that you, Spike?" Rarity asked without looking up from her sewing machine.
"You bet." Spike replied closing the door behind him.
The Carousel Boutique was adorned with such a vivid amount of colors, elegant tapestries, ribbons, and all sorts of fashionable things that really seemed to draw the room together. It was rather tidy for the most part, it seemed that Rarity was not having one of her sudden inspirations, but doing some rather tedious work that kept her busy nonetheless.
"Would you be a dear and hand me that spool of fabric?" Rarity requested, pointing towards a rack near Spike.
"What are you making this time, Rarity?" Spiked asked curiously lifting the spool of fabric from the stand.
"Nothing at the moment, Spike. I'm just repairing a suit for a fancy pony in Canterlot. My muse is currently upstairs just waiting for me to make it into a masterpiece." Rarity sighed longingly looking up at the ceiling above her.
"What is it" Spike asked carrying the spool of fabric to her.
"I was able to deconstruct the material Flame Ponies used to use to make their clothing out of. It's a very intricate and delicate weave of threads that takes a long while to make. It allows the fire of the Flame Ponies to safely breathe without putting it out all-together. It also absorbs the heat from their fire but remains cool to the touch for other ponies. It's simply genius when you think about it." Rarity explained taking the fabric with her magic and rolling out a long piece of cloth.
"You must be really talented to be able rediscover how to make Flame Pony clothing, Rarity." Spike said paying her a compliment.
"That's very kind of you to say Spike, but I only figured out the material and the thread count. I had to special order the cloak I sent with Princess Celestia to Smolder. I've been in touch with some fellow seamstresses of mine who were able to put it all together for me. They've just recently sent me a rather large shipment of the material to do with as I please. I'm just brimming with ideas on what I could make out of it." Rarity replied using her magic to lift a pair of scissors; cutting some of cloth.
"Well you might just be able to try out some of those ideas." Spike said holding up the letter to her.
"What's this?" Rarity asked curiously taking the letter from Spike.
"Princess Celestia got a letter from Wingston today explaining how Fireball is being overwhelmed by the needs of every Flame Pony. He's asking you and the others to come to the Ashen Fields to help with some of the work Fireball can't get to." Spike said trying to sum up the letter.
"You mean to say that I will be able to teach and supervise an entire generation of fashion to Flame Ponies?" Rarity asked with almost a squeal of delight.
"Pretty much." Spike replied with a shrug.
"Oh, Spike! This is wonderful! I must start packing immediately! There is so much to do! When do we leave?" Rarity asked tossing the fancy pony's suit to the wayside.
"Twilight said as soon as possible. So I'm guessing she means today or early tomorrow." Spike said scratching the scales on his head.
"That doesn't give me much time! Thank you, Spikey Wickey! You just made my day!" Rarity exclaimed nuzzling him on his cheek.
Spike slumped to the floor, his whole body seemed to feel like mush while Rarity pranced away to begin her preparations. Eventually, Spike was able to shake off his love sickness and decided to head to Sweet Apple Acres to find Applejack. The journey to Sweet Apple Acres wasn't a very long one, but it ended up being rather long for Spike as a few passing butterflies distracted him from time to time.
Eventually, Spike arrived at Sweet Apple Acres to overhear raised voices coming from the apple orchard. Spike followed the voices, walking down one of the many rows of apple trees that stretched across the acre, until coming across Fluttershy and Applejack staring up into a tree.
"Fluttershy, you tell these wood knockers to stop poking holes in my apple trees or we're going to have one hay of a problem." Applejack warned her.
"It's only natural for Woodpeckers to peck trees, Applejack. It would be like some pony telling you not to do any farming." Fluttershy replied softly.
"I don't go farming on other pony's lands though! These little critters are not just putting holes in my trees but there poking holes in my apples too." Applejack said pointing to a basket of ruined apples.
"I'll see what I can do." Fluttershy said softly floating up towards the Woodpeckers that sat on a nearby branch.
"What's up, Applejack?" Spike asked, approaching them.
"Hey there, Spike. Just having a disagreement about where these Woodpeckers should be sticking their little pointy beaks." Applejack remarked looking rather tempered.
"Is this a bad time? I can come back later." Spike said tapping his claws together.
"No need, Spike. Fluttershy has getting things squared away. What can I do you for?" Applejack asked curiously.
"Princess Celestia got a letter from Wingston asking you and the other ponies to come help out in the Ashen Fields." Spike reported holding the letter out to her.
"Things not going so well over there?" Applejack asked curiously taking the letter.
"Wingston says it would make things easier on Smolder if you ponies could lend a hoof with what you ponies do for a living." Spike explained to her.
"It says here Smolder hasn't been sleeping. How much does one King have to do where he can't get a bit of shut eye?" Applejack asked looking tempered again.
"That's where you come in Applejack, you can help teach Flame Ponies all about farming and give Fireball a break." Spike explained to her.
"Well, there isn't much going on around here. I'm sure Big Mac can look after things for a couple days while I'm gone." Applejack said looking around.
Fluttershy floated back down to Applejack with a smile on her face.
"The Woodpeckers have agreed to stop poking holes in your tree and apples." Fluttershy reported softly.
"Finally, some good news." Applejack said with a sigh.
"Except for this one." Fluttershy added pointing to the tree the Woodpeckers were perched on.
"Say what?" Applejack asked sounding surprised.
"The Woodpeckers won't peck any of your trees as long as they can peck on this one." Fluttershy said.
"That is down-right extortion!" Applejack declared stomping her hoof.
"It's just the one tree Applejack, the Woodpeckers promise to only use this one, and they also promise to keep grubs from getting into any of your other trees or apples." Fluttershy explained further.
"Well, if these critters are willing to keep the rest of my trees grub free… I guess they can have this one tree." Applejack said weighing her options.
The Woodpeckers pecked excitedly onto the branch in agreement while Fluttershy beamed at Applejack.
"The Woodpeckers say thank you." Fluttershy reported.
"Yeah, yeah." Applejack mumbled.
"Oh, hello Spike. What are you doing here?" Fluttershy asked curiously; noticing him.
"I'm here to tell you that Wingston needs our help and wants us to come to the Ashen Fields as soon as possible." Spike restated to her.
"My help? What could I do for a Flame Pony?" Fluttershy asked feeling nervous.
"I'm not sure but it's probably got something to do with your gentle nature and natural ability to make friends with the wild life." Spike replied scratching his chin.
"Ash has got his hooves full trying to help out every Flame Pony. Wingston is asking us to take some of the heat off of him, metaphorically of course." Applejack said handing her the letter.
"Oh my, it does seem like Smolder could use some help." Fluttershy said reading the letter to herself.
"So will you come, Fluttershy?" Spike asked.
"If I can help in any way then I want to be there to at least try." Fluttershy said lightly stomping her hoof.
"Then it's settled then, we're on board." Applejack declared.
"Great! It looks like we'll be leaving first thing in the morning, so make sure you have everything you'll need packed and ready to go." Spike said taking back the letter.
With a couple of waves of goodbye, Spike made his way back towards Ponyville to find Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Spike was beginning to wonder if finding the two of them was going to be difficult, seeing as how Rainbow Dash was normally up in the clouds and Pinkie Pie could appear just about anywhere. Lucky for him, he found them having lunch, or at least it seemed like lunch to Spike. Pinkie Pie had an enormous cake sitting in front of her with Rainbow Dash poised ready to fly up into the air. Pinkie Pie had her other hoof raised to signal Rainbow Dash.
"And… go!" Pinkie Pie cried swinging her hoof down.
Rainbow Dash exploded from the spot, flying high into the air, kicking and chopping at the clouds that hung over Ponyville. Pinkie Pie was demolishing the cake, eating so fast that the cake appeared to shrink on the spot.Spike watched in utter confusion at the spectacle, unsure of what was going on, until Rainbow Dash flew back down towards Pinkie Pie.
"Time!" Rainbow Dash shouted landing back at her starting point.
"Mmph!" Pinkie Pie replied with a mouth full of cake.
"Another tie?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.
"What are you ponies doing?" Spiked asked looking confused.
"Hey, Spike. Pinkie Pie here said she could eat a whole cake faster than I could clear the skies of Ponyville from all its clouds." Rainbow Dash explained.
"The only problem is that we keep ending up in a tie." Pinkie Pie said swallowing the last mouth full of cake.
"You've tried this more than once?" Spike asked surprised.
"Well duh, how else are we going to find out who's faster?" Rainbow Dash scoffed.
"The hard part is baking a new cake and having Rainbow Dash put all the clouds back again." Pinkie Pie explained licking the plate clean.
"Well I need you ponies to take a break for a minute to read this." Spike said holding out the letter to them.
"What's this?" Rainbow Dash asked taking the letter.
"Is it a treasure map?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.
"Nope, it's just a letter." Rainbow Dash said shaking it in front of her.
"Wingston sent a letter to Princess Celestia asking us to come to the Ashen Fields to help them out." Spike explained to them.
"Matchstick is in trouble?" Rainbow Dash asked urgently.
"Our Sparky?" Pinkie Pie asked pushing her head up against Rainbow Dash's to read along with her.
"Well, Wingston said he's been pretty worn out trying to help every Flame Pony. He's asking us to come to deal with some of the issues, because we're so good at what we do. " Spike continued.
"So what you're saying is that these Flame Ponies need a really great flyer to come and show them how it's done?" Rainbow Dash asked proudly.
"Pretty much." Spike replied.
"Those Flame Ponies have only been eating rocks and roots for Celestia knows how long! They're going to need some pony to teach them how to bake delicious treats!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly.
"I'm pretty sure it was just Fireball who tried to eat rocks." Spike replied thinking about it.
"So when do we get to show off- I mean help out these Flame Ponies?" Rainbow Dash asked trying to correct herself.
"We're leaving first thing in the morning." Spike said taking the letter back.
"I have to start baking tons of treats right away!" Pinkie Pie cried racing off leaving a dust cloud in her wake.
"I'll bring some of my best Wonderbolts posters to help inspire the pegasi Flame Ponies. Maybe a few of my trophies to show them that I'm not just all talk too." Rainbow Dash said to herself before exploding from the spot and soaring up into the air.
"Remember! Tomorrow morning, bright and early!" Spike shouted after them.
With every pony being informed of the request sent by Wingston, Spike retreated back to the Golden Oakes Library. Opening the door, Spike let himself in, shutting it closed behind him, he turned to find that Twilight had a large trunk open and was already overflowing it with books.
"Uh, Twilight?" Spike asked curiously looking at the stacks of books that formed around the trunk.
"Oh, Spike you're back. Were you able to find every pony?" Twilight asked peeking up from behind a mountain of books stacked in the corner.
"Just got done telling Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie about it. Every pony is able and willing to come, it seems like we'll all be ready by tomorrow morning." Spike reported.
"Great! That gives us just enough time to finish packing." Twilight said happily magically lifting several stacks of books into Spike's claws.
"Do you really need to bring all these books, Twilight?" Spike asked in surprise struggling to keep them from collapsing on him.
"Of course! Now start alphabetizing those while I go look for another trunk." Twilight said digging through the closet.
Spike dropped the stack of books onto the ground next to him and started to stack them into piles starting with A and then with B and so on. Every pony worked into the night getting ready to leave home and come to help out an old friend.
The Ashen Fields has been the only home I have ever known. I try to imagine it being colorful like Ponyville or revered like Canterlot, but my home is of ash and fire. I was born into it, welcomed by those who came before and I've been asked to look after it along with all those that reside in it. With the help of my friends we were able to defeat my father, the Mad King, sending him back into the Void, and that all happened in a single day. It made a lot Flame Ponies believe that all our other problems would be solved just as quickly, but in reality it was going to take a long, long time.
Princess Celestia had once said that I could be the voice of the Flame Ponies, and within a week of our freedom, every pony found a voice of their own, and they were all shouting for change. We started with next to nothing, perhaps even less than that, for we had to repair what little we had left. As of today, we have made great strides in rebuilding what we had lost during my father's rampage and we started to look towards our future.
What I had been looking at for most of the night and early morning was the Royal Chambers that once belonged to my mother and father but now belonged to me. It was poorly lit, due to much of the scaffolding covering the windows. The balcony was used as a base camp so that Flame Ponies would not have to climb all the way to the ground level to gather supplies. The walls and floors were vacant of any pictures or furniture, except for Wingston's sundial that he left near the window; the scaffolding made it useless due to the shadows it cast. A circular slab of black granite rested in the middle of the room, it was my new bed and I had yet to use it.
I felt exhausted. My eyes were in business for themselves, closing several times, causing my head to droop over and over again. My joints ached, my muscles seemed to be on fire, or something to that effect. The reason I refused to sleep was not a selfish or idealistic one, nor was it the fact that ponies always seemed to knock at my door whenever I just drifted off to sleep. It was the nightmares I was having. Whenever I closed my eyes, when the dreams started to fester, all I could see was my father standing before me; as if we were battling once more.
The sudden rapping of claws on my doors gave me a start.
"Special delivery for the big cheese!" A voice said from the other side of my doors.
"Big cheese?" I asked with a yawn.
The doors flew open. Discord came waltzing into the room, dressed in similar garb I had seen regular Mail Ponies wear, carrying a twisted and melted piece of metal under his paw. He entered into my room about halfway, blowing a sharp whistle at how large it was.
"Nice place you got here, I especially like the sundial that has no sun." Discord said amusingly looking around my room.
I didn't reply to him. I yawned loudly. My head felt like it weighed fifty pounds and I did my best keep my eyes from closing.
"The rumors are true. You look terrible." Discord said shielding me from his eyes with his paw in disgust.
"Can I help you… Discord?" I asked pausing to yawn once more.
"I wouldn't dream of adding to the work load you've already got, but I do have something that I thought would look great in your drab room." Discord said walking over to the left side of my room.
Discord propped the large piece of twisted and melted metal against my wall and stepped back to admire it.
"What is it?" I asked squinting at it; unsure of what it was.
"Why, it's the mirror your father was trapped in." Discord said in a matter of fact tone.
Discord jumped out of the way in surprise. I had shot a sudden burst of fire at the freakish mirror without a second thought. My eyes were wide open now, my mane flaring in anger at the sight of it.
"Get it out of here." I said firmly to him.
"Now hear me out little Flame Pony, I spent weeks searching for this thing. When that mountain blew its top, it also blew this mirror half way to Saddle Arabia." Discord explained slithering towards me and putting his paw around me.
"So?" I asked coldly.
"It may be a shattered, broken, twisted, melted, piece of garbage now, but it still is a part of Flame Pony history." Discord replied trying to advocate the importance of it.
"Throw it back into the volcano." I said disinterested.
I shrugged Discord's paw off and started heading towards my granite.
"Perhaps it can be a reminder of how shattered and twisted your family was." Discord suggested.
His words stopped me in my tracks. I wasn't tired anymore, I felt my fire festering inside me; my anger rising.
"Too soon?" Discord asked sheepishly.
"Was there anything else you needed, Discord?" I asked hotly over my shoulder; feeling too tired to even throw another breath of fire.
"No, I just came to give you back your mirror. No need to thank me." Discord replied, bowing his head towards me in an overly dramatic fashion.
"I wasn't going to." I said flatly.
"You try to do a pony a favor and this is how I'm repaid." Discord said sounding hurt; walking out of my room and slamming the doors shut with a snap of his claws.
I snorted in anger, flames shooting from my nostrils. I was riled up. I let Discord get under my hide again and now I had this stupid mirror sitting in my room. It hardly look like anything anymore, it barely kept the shape of its frame while the metal twisted like branches in and out. My mane flared just looking at it. I let my anger get the best of me and I spewed more fire at it. My throat seemed to seize up, choking on my fire, my strength gone, breathing heavy trying not to pass out.
"Stupid mirror!" I shouted unable to come up with anything else to say.
I took a few deep breaths trying to calm myself. My heart was racing and my head was pounding. I looked towards my granite then back at the door wondering what I would rather be doing.
"…you're stupid…"
My ears perked up. It was no more than a whisper. I looked around my room, but there was no pony in sight.
"Discord?" I asked aloud.
I was met with silence. I glanced over at the mirror.
"Hello?" I asked staring at it.
The mirror did not respond. In my head I wondered why it would. I slowly approached it, unsure of what I was expecting to happen, but did so anyway. I examined the mirror closely, looking over it as if expecting to find something. Another sudden rap at my door almost made me jump out of my flames.
Wingston's face appeared from the other side of the door.
"Smolder, you have guests waiting down… What are you doing?" Wingston asked, cutting himself short and eyeing my suspiciously.
"I was… I thought I…." I said unsure myself.
"Is that the Void Mirror your father was trapped in?" Wingston asked looking surprised.
"Discord brought it to me." I said looking back at it.
"Why would you want that garbage?" Wingston asked curiously.
"I didn't; he just left it here." I replied.
Wingston stepped into my room. He slowly limped his way towards me and the mirror.
"Does it still work?" Wingston asked curiously.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You seem to be staring at it an awful lot. I thought there was still a reflection." Wingston replied.
"No, I just thought I… heard something." I said slowly.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" Wingston asked quickly.
"No but-" I started but Wingston's staff knocked against my head.
I clutched my head in pain. Feeling that another blow might just knock me out for the count.
"If I need to beat you unconscious, I will most certainly do so!" Wingston threatened, while I rubbed my head.
"If you don't end up with a brain damaged King first." I snapped sounding grumpy.
"It most certainly seems that that way, seeing as how brain dead you've been these last couple of days." Wingston replied observing the mirror himself.
"Don't cut yourself, Wingston." I warned watching him touch the twisted bits of metal.
"You said you heard something?" Wingston asked curiously.
"Y-yeah. It was no more than a whisper, but I was the only pony here." I explained.
"So naturally you thought it was the mirror talking to you because the sundial and you aren't friends yet?" Wingston asked sarcastically.
"I'm serious Wingston, I really did hear something!" I protested.
Wingston raised his staff to me once more as I recoiled away.
"You haven't slept in nearly two days. You may have just been hearing things, or it could be those ponies on the scaffolding outside your window." Wingston suggested pointing to the shadows of ponies walking along the scaffolding just outside.
Wingston had a point. I did shout at the mirror and one those ponies might of thought I was talking to them. It made more sense than a twisted up piece of metal talking back to me.
"Come, Smolder. You have guests waiting for you." Wingston said ushering me towards the door.
"Guests?" I asked curiously lowering myself to carry Wingston.
"That is what ponies are called when they come into your home now, aren't they?" Wingston asked climbing a top my back.
"Well they could be intruders too." I said thinking about it.
"These were invited ponies, which makes them our invited guests." Wingston replied.
"Who invited them?" I asked feeling confused.
"I did of course." Wingston said proudly.
I carried Wingston from my Royal Chambers into the corridor that led to a staircase leading the Main Hall of Castle Char. He would not tell me whom he had invited or why but he seemed rather pleased with himself all the while. I decided that it was just easier to go and meet these guests rather than trying to drag the information out of Wingston.
We descended the stairs that branched into the main staircase that led out into the Main Hall. Several Flame Ponies were hard at work, placing mortar and stone to seal up the broken walls. To my great surprise, a surprise so welcomed that I almost leaped for joy, my eyes fell to six familiar ponies and a small dragon that stood waiting for at the landing.
"Fireball!" Spike exclaimed pointing up the stairs at me.
"Matchstick! Smolder! Ash! Sparky!" All their sudden cries were mixed together as I reached the landing with Wingston.
Spike was the only one able to run up and hug me, or at least my leg for that matter. Every other pony just offered me smiles which meant more to me then hours worth of sleep at that moment.
"When Wingston said we had guests, I would never have thought it would be you ponies." I said with a smile.
"Wingston said you needed a break from all the work you've been trying to do yourself. So he asked us to come and fill in for you while you recover." Twilight explained to me.
"Oh Wingston, you sneaky little bat you." I said slowly narrowing my eyes at him; having realized his plan.
"I have my moments." Wingston said nonchalantly.
"So where do we start?" Twilight asked.