//------------------------------// // Meet the Pyro // Story: Pony Fortress 2 // by Bahamut Omega //------------------------------// A lone pony stalked through the dusk toward a small fort of mercenaries. Its body was clad in a red and black fireproof suit. Its head clad in a black rebreather mask, the eyes tinted to prevent sight of them. And in its hooves it held a menacing looking homemade flamethrower, the blue pilate light letting off an ominous sound that foreshadowed death... and suffering. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Up on the hill a safe distance from the fort, two ponies and a small dragon waited for the carnage to start. "I fear no stallion," Big Macintosh said. "But that thing... it scares me." "Can we not talk about that freak?" Spike asked, clutching his rocket launcher as though seeking comfort. "I shudder to think what inequine thoughts lie behind that mask," Twilight said as the fires started. "What dreams of chronic, sustained cruelty..." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Even though the mercenaries were screaming in terror as the flames spread, both on their own and aided by the masked arsonist, through the arsonist's eyes, things were very, very different. Pinkie laughed happily as she spread rainbows with her special rainbow maker. "Hi everypony!" she called as she merrily hopped and skipped her way along, grabbing a huge lolypop as she ran toward a smiling pony. That mercenary screamed before an ax was buried in his skull. Pinkie laughed with the pony as he enjoyed the lolypop, and smiled at another who landed on the nozzle of her rainbow maker. "Of course you can have some bubbles, silly filly!" she said as she blew some bubbles in her face. The mare fell to the ground dead after being shot in the chest with a shotgun. Pinkie laughed and skipped along with the two ponies and saw another one duck into a box. Smiling, she fixed the lid on the hastily closed box. The hiding medic tried to open the door only to find it barred with an ax, and the arsonist in front of him to his horror. "No! NOOOOOO!!!" he screamed as he was burned alive by the flamethrower. "This is so much fun, everypony!" Pinkie exclaimed happily as she bounced around, followed by all her new friends and spraying rainbows everywhere she went, including over her friends. "Hi there!" she called to a pair of gardening ponies as she passed. She waved at them when they waved at her. The mercenaries kept trying to flee the mad arsonist. One fell from a balcony and crawled over to the first set of legs he saw and gripped one. "Help!" To his horror, the one he begged for help was the arsonist, who leveled their flamethrower at him and lit him up like a birthday cake, eliciting screams from him. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Twilight, Spike, and Big Macintosh watched in subdued horror as their masked ally walked out of the fort as it burned and disappeared into the night. "Sure glad he's on our side," Spike said. To the agreement of his comrades. "Hi guys!" Pinkie yelled from behind them, making them jump ten feet in the air. "Whatcha doin? Huh? Huh? Huh? I was just coming through the woods heading for Zecora's place when I saw you and thought, 'they look all worked up!' So I brought just the thing to cheer you up!" she said as she rumaged in her saddlebags and out a tray. "Cupcakes!" The three ponies being offered the treats noticed they had a certain flame motif to them, and looked at each other. Couldn't be. Could it? Suddenly, they were very nervous about the pink ball of happiness, laughter, and smiles.