Chapter 8: Wrath

wrath, noun: vengeance or punishment as the consequence of anger

The door to the library slammed open. Outside, the sun had just about passed its prime and was now on its way back down to end another day. Twilight stomped inside, a heavy glare on her face and bags under her eyes.

She stopped just in the doorway, spotting Doctor Whooves who had been holding a book in his mouth. He had been searching through the shelves, but on her rather loud introduction, he looked her way. "What are you doing in my house?" Twilight growled.

"I... uh, isn't this the public library?" Doctor Whooves asked, setting the book down and taking a step back from her in fear.

Doctor Whooves gestured towards his book, taking another step back. "Sorry... Can't I just-"

"I said get out!" Twilight yelled, this time lighting her horn and teleporting him from the building without much concern for where the destination would be. The area around where he'd stood now had a rather dark scorch mark on it.

Stepping through completely, Twilight slammed the door shut behind her. She lifted the book Doctor Whooves had left from the ground and shovedit back on the shelf at random. Despitethe newburn mark on the ground and part of the shelf, the place actually looked pretty tidy. Spike must have spent a good portion of his day getting the place looking good. It was understandable if he felt bad.

"Spike!" Twilight called up the ladder to her bedside. She expected to see her assistant's head appear over the ledge, but there was no response. "Spike, get down here!" This time Twilight hurried herself up the ladder, only to find nothing, no Spike, no message, no note anywhere. Just two well made beds. Perhaps he'd gone out looking for her. Twilight mentally reminded herself that she had been out all day.

With a sigh, Twilight brought herself over to her bed, and collapsed down onto it with a huff. The way her "friends" had all been acting these past couple days. The way she herself had been acting, and all over some stupid gem...

"I'll be coming to collect it as soon as I can" Twilight mimicked the Princess's voice to herself, letting out a sigh of annoyance. "Don't tell Luna, don't tell anyone, it's all up to you, Twilight" Twilight rolled onto her back, animatedly mimicking all of these words and finally giving a huff.

'What are you doing here anyway? Her orders have caused nothing but trouble. You should be writing to her to tell her to forget it and find someone else to do it' Twilight thought angrily to herself. A second later, she rolled back over, pulled the satchel from around her neck, and tossed it over to the other side of the room. 'No, that's not me. That's the stupid gem talking'

Twilight glared at the satchel for a time, mind pondering through her options. 'But... maybe breaking one more rule and telling Luna wouldn't be such a bad idea'

With a jump in her step, Twilight leaped down from the bed, to the main floor, and approached her old podium where a quill and paper sat waiting for use. Thanks, Spike.

Two days ago, I came across an old blue gem in the castle where we last saw you during your... incident. I brought it home, and sent a message to your sister about it. While she's claimed to be on her way here right now to retrieve it, I feel you should know. It's caused nothing but trouble, I've been tearing my mane out over this thing, I just want it gone. Technically I'm not allowed to send you this letter, but I can't continue on with this much longer.

Okay, maybe not 'Thanks, Spike' after all. Satisfied with that letter, Twilight glanced around the library, and realized she had no way of sending it off until Spike returned.

A knock at the door made Twilight jump, however. Her first instinct screamed "Lucky you, that must be him", until the realization that Spike would not be knocking on his own door set in. With a huff, Twilight over to the door.

Not bothering to ask who it was, she pulled open the door with her horn and was, for a moment only, stunned to see Rarity standing before her. The designer looked near worse than she had the day before; clearly she too had been under quite a bit of stress from something. A wrapped box was balanced carefully on her back. "Oh, hey" Twilight mumbled, already feeling some sort of bubbling anger in her stomach.

Rarity's head lowered a bit, clearly ashamed of the incident. "Hello, Twilight..." She rubbed a hoof against the ground lightly, like a scolded filly might, before using her horn to liftthe box from her back andover her head towardsTwilight. "I... wanted to apologize for my ghastly behavior yesterday. I really don't know what came over me"

Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, taking the box in her mouth and setting it down in front of her.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like, but I wanted to make you something to make up for it" Rarity gave a quick nod at the box. "For your jewel, since you'll be keeping it. I wanted it to be practical enough for you, I know how you are with..." Rarity caught Twilight's uncaring eye and trailed off, lowering her head and backing away a few steps more.

"Thanks" Twilight murmured aloud, pulling the box inside by the hoof. "Thanks, Rarity" Oh how she wanted to forgive the designer, but something inside her simply refused to allow it. Still, she'd be as nice about it as she could.

"Great, then, great..." Rarity spoke awkwardly, turning away to cough lightly. They stood in silence for a few seconds longer, before Rarity finally said. "Well, I suppose I'd better be off. Sorry again, I'll... check up on you tomorrow, then" Rarity gave an uncertain smile, before turning and hurrying off.

Twilight resisted the urge to give a wave, instead stepping back inside and shutting the door. She glanced over the box before her, nudging it a few times as though expecting a trap from it, and finally pulling the red ribbon off the top, and the lid right after that.

Inside was a silky purple necklace. Twilight immediately recognized it as being made of the very same material she'd returned to Rarity the day prior- her tail. But that wasn't all. It tied around one singular point on one side of the necklace, where three sturdy wires hung in the shape of a ball. They were easy enough to bend that she might fit the gemstone inside, while still sturdy enough not to let it simply slip out afterwards.

Well, this'd certainly help. Twilight pulled the satchel back over to her, removing the gemstone from it and quickly locking it into place in the new necklace she'd received. It did look good, with the eye facing outwards...

The eye gave off a slightly glow, that Twilight took no note of. With a quick sigh, Twilight pulled it up and on, wrapping the whole thing around her neck and locking it into place. It did feel soft, about as much as she'd imagine Rarity's mane to feel, while looking beautiful all at once. A tiny part of her wanted to be thankful, she knew how much this must've meant to Rarity to give this away.

"She's your friend... What do you think you're doing here? You should be going to accept her apology..." Twilight hurried back over to her letter to Luna, looking it up and down. The gemstone hanging around her neck now glowed brighter, and more unkind thoughts rushed their way into her mind. Why so suddenly? Why now? 'She still attacked you, you should get back at her before you forgive her so easily...'

"No!" Twilight yelled, rearing back as though actually able to get away from the gem while it hung around her neck. She grabbed the hanging gem with her hoof, twisting it up to look it eye to eye. "She's my friend, I'm ready to forgive. No more anger! No more anger!"

But the gemstone was clever, it knew what to do, for it had done so before. The eye glowed intensely, a magic Twilight herself had never seen before released, and before she could even look away, a bright glow enveloped both her and the entire building.

Just like that, dear children, Twilight Sparkle was gone. Wrath had won. She stood there in silence, her mane and tail suddenly flaring upwards, flowing like a flame might while keeping their colors. Her eyes went blank. Rarity's kindness was no longer important. All that went through Twilight's mind right now was the word "Revenge".
Twilight Blaze was born.

"Was she there?" Spike asked. He sat atop a counter in front of a large mirror, within Carousel Boutique. He was first to speak when Rarity returned home. Spike hopped down from his seat to approach Rarity as she closed the door.

"Yes, I don't think she's feeling any better though. I really don't know what's gotten into her, but I feel awful about it" Rarity pulled herself back over to her desk, seating herself and laying her head down on it.

Spike gave her a few quick pats on the shoulder. "Hey, she's smart. Twilight will come around" Spike knew it to be true, but it felt like a lie to say it out loud. Twilight may be smart, but she was also irritable... "Uh, but I should probably get going, she might be looking for me"

"Oh, are you sure?" Rarity lifted her head and spun aroundwhere she sat to face Spike. "I certainly wouldn't want you to be there with Twilight in such a foul mood" She wanted him to stay for her sake as much as his own.

"I'd love to stay, really" Spike gave a quick shrug, and hurried for the door. "But I can't, it's not going to calm her down at allif I'm not there and she needs me"

Just as he reached the door, it slammed open. Twilight stood before him, flaming mane and all, with a sinister smile on her face. "Oh Spike, goody, I was looking for you earlier" Her voice came out thick with hate, a hate that seemed foreign to her. That was the strange thing though; hate, not anger.

"Not now, Spike" Twilight quickly scanned the room, taking the biggest ruby from a stack of them in the corner, lifting it over with her horn, and shoving it in Spike's mouth to shut him up. "Adults are talking" Twilight hurried forward past him, while Spike struggled for a few minutes trying to pull the ruby out of his mouth.

He seemed to be having some trouble breathing, but was thankfully able to force himself to spit it out onto the floor after a few short seconds, at which point he backed away from her uncertainly.

"Quiet!" Twilight finally yelled, silencing the whole building. A quick spark appeared from her horn, and as it did, all the lights in the building promptly went out. Twilight alone stood there as the soul source of light; she glowed like a bonfire, and her mane looked like one too.

"You know what your problem is? Too envious. You're a country pony trying to grow up like the big-shots in Canterlot" Twilight stepped forward right up to Rarity, glancing over the designer's shoulder to the desk. At a quick nod of her head, the mirror laying on the desk flung itself off and shattered on the ground. "Oh, sorry, did I do that? You know how we lowerclass people can get"

"Twilight, I just wanted to-" Rarity started again, only to shut up when Twilight turned her burning glare back on her. Twilight's tail twisted around to Rarity, giving the designer a quick flick on the chin. It burned slightly, but Rarity dare not say a word.

"I was never your type, never quite classy enough. You've always been just a little too selfish. This friendship never could have worked" Twilight brought her horn down so it aimed directly at Rarity's face. "I wish I could say it's been fun, but... what was it Discord said? Arrivederci"

Just as her horn lit itself, Twilight felt a sharp tug from behind, pulling her leg out from under her and letting her fall to the ground. Rarity sprang at the chance, running from her spot across to the exit. She stopped in the door, looking to Spike who was holding onto Twilight's hind leg. "Spike, come quickly!"

Spike refused to let go, though, even biting into Twilight's leg a few times before she finally shook him off and stood back up. Without hesitation, she aimed her horn to him and let out a spew of fire from it. Spike took the whole blast, being thrown across the room by it in a smoking heap, though was visibly unharmed. He let out a groan, slowly trying to pull himself back up. "Oh, I forgot, you're fireproof, aren't you? We'll have to test that" Twilight spoke sarcastically, stepping over to him just as he managed to sit up properly.

She only just managed to aim her horn at him once more when Rarity appeared again, bounding over and standing atop of Spike. Her own horn lit first, and in a quick flash of light, the two vanished.

They reappeared not far, just down the street in the middle of it. Spike was still smoking, and struggled a bit to pick himself up, while Rarity was wobbling freely from the spell; teleporting had never been a favorite of hers, and doing it for two people was especially difficult.

"I think... we made it..." Rarity mumbled, swaying slightly and only just catching herself. Even from here, she could hear the angry yells from the inside of Carousel Boutique, and only faintly see it from down the street. What she saw next broke her heart; huge streams of fire bursting out from the windows, for a few seconds only, before fading away. Rarity could only stand and stare, letting out a quick sniffle.

Spike, on the other hand, finally regaining his composure, grabbed her by the shoulder and started pulling her the opposite way down the street. "Come on, we've gotta find help. I can send another letter to the Princess..."

The two passed a stunned Lyra Heartstrings and Bonbon, both of which were stuck standing and staring with horror as the Carousel Boutique began to burn. Neither of them said a word, though Lyra did manage a look of concern to Rarity as she and Spike passed.

Applejack's front half was sticking up and out of the large ice chunk that kept her back half frozen solid. She was suspended a good fifty feet in the air, above the pond where she and Twilight had spent some time, by too many balloons for her to count, tied to each of her front hooves. Rainbow floated a good few feet away, trying to aim a mirror to reflect the sun into Applejack's still frozen half.

"Well I can't really carry you out of here, this is the only way I can think to get you above the trees and into the sun" Rainbow gave a quick shrug, losing her grip on the mirror for half a second in the process and having to scramble to grab it from out of the air.

Applejack let out a sigh, slumping forward slightly, knowing she'd be there a while. "Can you at least light a match or something? This ain't working"

"Hey, it got you out this far!" Rainbow tossed the mirror idly over her shoulder, crossing her arms and hanging there, hoping for an idea. A more efficient one, preferably. A few seconds later, both her own nose and Applejack's perked up, raising both of their heads slightly. Rainbow sniffed inwards a few time. "Speaking of matches, is that smoke?"

"Sure smells like it. Must be close too; my flanks freezing, but the rest of me feels-" Applejack was interrupted by a loud pop from over her head. "-hot..."

Rainbow's eyes widened, and she immediately dived forward, grabbing Applejack by the hooves just as the rest of the balloons began bursting from the intense heat coming from below. Maybe AJ alone would be light enough, but with her bottom halfcurrently stuck in a chunk of ice twice her size, all Rainbow managed to do was just barely slow their descent as they crashed back down to earth.

Rainbow went tumbling on contact, and the ice around Applejack split almost immediately when it hit the ground, shattering and flying all over the place. It did break her fall for half a second though, and that was all that she needed to thump down onto the grass safely.

Applejack was the first to pull herself up. "Ugh... what in tarnation was that all about?" Her question was answered a moment later, when she lifted her head up to see the flaming-haired Twilight leaning casually on an apple tree, looking widely amused by the display. "Twilight?"

"Twilight?" Rainbow yelled, jumping to her feet, then immediately lifting off into the air again. She flew nice and close, forcing Twilight to back up a few steps, while yelling "I've got a bone to pick with you"

Twilight only smirked, leaning forward suddenly and forcing Rainbow away from the intense heat that seemed to emanate from the unicorn. "But I've already picked your bone, remember? Fluttershy told me all about it"

Rainbow went red in the face at this comment, ready to retaliate when Applejack suddenly bounded between the two of them. "Hold on now ya'll!" She looked first to Rainbow, waving for her to calm down. Rainbow begrudgingly backed off some, landing down hesitantly and glaring at Twilight over Applejack's shoulder.

Then Applejack turned her attention to Twilight. "Glad to see you finally came to your senses..." She looked the unicorn up and down, her words coming out more uncomfortably as she spoke them. She just wanted to get past this little scuffle, but admittedly, Twilight's look and behavior was just... threatening. Applejack stopped when she noticed the gem hanging around the unicorn's neck.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing still carrying that thing around?" AJ pointed a hoof at the gemstone, actually giving it a quick tap before Twilight whacked the hoof away, growling. Applejack instinctively backed up until she stood next to Rainbow Dash.

"Hooves off! I already told you I don't appreciate you stealing from me, big head" Twilight took a quick glance to Rainbow, smirking. "That goes for you too, greedy. Wouldn't want another incident, would we?"

That was all it took. Before she could be stopped, Rainbow leaped off the ground, pouncing forward with the intent to tackle Twilight to the ground. She got about an inch within reach when she received a full blast of fire from Twilight's horn, blasting her back through the air and just over Applejack's head.

Instinctively, Applejack turned and rushed over to Rainbow, having to forcibly stop her from writhing to get a good look at her. Even then, Rainbow's constant half-yells and groans of pain kept her from concentrating properly. Still, it didn't take a genius to find the problem.

Rainbow must have raised a wing to protect herself, because her right one had all of its feathers scorched black and only just hanging on. She could certainly still fly with it, though the main question was how long the feathers would last before falling out, not to mention the great amount of pain that she was obviously under.

Staring in horror, Applejack turned back to Twilight, almost feeling like attacking herself in not afraid for her own safety. "What was that? You burned her! You just burned your friend!"

"My my, I thought you'd be happy. You always were the conceitedone, AJ. Shouldn't it be more along the lines of 'better her than me'?" Twilight stepped forward to Rainbow, giving her a slight nudge with the hoof. Applejack instinctively knelt down and wrapped her own hoof around her friend, refusing to run now and leave Rainbow at the mercy of this... monster of a friend.

"I understand though, you try not to look at things through my eyes. If I recall..." Twilight leaned back and gave her head a quick wag to the side, sending a spark flying from her horn onto a nearby tree. It almost instantly burst into a huge roaring flame, engulfing the wood. "You said you wouldn't care where I was coming from if I set Sweet Apple Acres ablaze. Well, now at least I know I don't have anything to explain to you"

Applejack stared in terror while Twilight turned and sent another spark onto a far-off tree. The first was already starting to spread to others. She didn't know what to do, there certainly wasn't any way of saving her farm, and getting Rainbow out of here would be a miracle enough with how quickly the fire was spreading.

"I can see you need some time to take this all in. Maybe swallow your pride a bit? Whatever it is, come find me when you..." Twilight glanced around once more, firing a third spark onto a third tree. This one almost immediately began spreading to others, and the area was quickly turning more orange and red than brown and green, and routes of escape were quickly disappearing. "Oh yeah, that's right" Twilight chuckled quietly to herself. "Well, good luck with that"

A moment later, a bright flame swirled up and around her, and as it vanished, so did she.

"Maybe we can call Trixie!" Pinkie Pie lay upside-down on Fluttershy's sofa, specifically, the one that was still embedded in the wall even as she laid there. She had a glass bird lifted in her hooves, looking through it with wonder and giving the occasional "Ooooh"

"I'd really rather not" Fluttershy flew over, taking the glass bird from Pinkie's hooves and hurrying back over to a hanging shelf, where she set it back down next to all the others. The thought that 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' could help was reassuring and terrifying all at the same time.

"We could go find Rarity then!" Pinkie rolled over where she lay, hopping down from the hanging sofa. A stray piece of wood fell from the severely cracked wall. "She uses glass sometimes, right? She'll definitely know how to fix your little birdies!"

Fluttershy turned to face her exuberant guest. "I don't know, I don't think she'd really understand this kind of thing..."

"Come on, Fluttershy!" Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy from the air, pulling her down to the floor and giving a quick march, saluting herself. "You helped me explain to the Cakes, I owe you my assistancewith your little glass birds!"

Fluttershy managed a blush at the comment. "Really, it was nothing" Fluttershy had been both the one to free Pinkie of her bubble confinement, and at the same time the one to explain what had happened to the Cakes.

It'd taken quite some time, and in the end, Fluttershy took the blame herself for what happened to Pumpkin. Even as angry as she was, she couldn't bring herself to throw Twilight under the bus. It just wasn't in her. Besides, it wasn't like the Cakes could honestly be mad at Fluttershy of all ponies. They did, however, only just barely let Pinkie keep her job and room, and insisted that they find a new babysitter until Pinkie could be trusted with the twins again.

"I'm just happy to have your company" Fluttershy stood herself back up, glancing at a table off in the corner where the glass Angel stood in a permanent greedy grabbing pose. "It's been lonely..."

"Lonely for Pinkie? Really?" A disbelieving voice asked. As it did, a very dark and very visible wisp of smoke seemed to roll in through the window, floating harmlessly around the room."That reeks of desperation" As these words came, strong and hating as they were, the wisp stopped high above the two ponies, shaping itself into the form of two seductive eyes, staring down on them.

Then, much to the wisp's surprise, Pinkie Pie asked: "Why? I think I'm pretty fun"

"What?" The eyes turned on Pinkie, looking suddenly confused. The wisp's next few words came out much less intimidating, as though it'd been putting on a charade. "No, see Pinkie, I'm getting to that, I-"

"When are you getting to it? Is it going to be a story? I like stories, I know some scary ones! Have you ever heard the one with Slendermane?"

"Pinkie Pie, I was the one who told you tha- Wait! What am I doing?" Clearing its voice quickly, the wisp resumed it's much louder and much more threatening tone. "Quiet Pinkie! I mean really, I had this whole speech set up and-"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Pinkie hopped up and down on her spot for a few short moments, like a child calling for the teacher.

The wisp gave a quick groan, falling into a look of annoyance and dropping the voice once more. "Yes Pinkie?"

"That just reminded me of that time that we had to go out looking for Applejack! 'Cause you remember, before we left and the Mayor wanted to personally thank her, and she said how she wasn't one for speeches, but then she gave one anyway, and-"

"Pinkie!" The wisp finally fell to the floor, shaping itself until it materialized into the form of Twilight, who immediately leaped forward and shoved a hoof into Pinkie's mouth. "Quiet! Please, for the love of Celestia, just be quiet!" Pinkie's eyes widened, and she let out a muffled unintelligible yell. "I'll assume you just shouted my name like everyone has so far today. Anyway-!"

"Twilight?" Fluttershy spoke up, drawing both ponies attentions to her. She had seemed wary at first of the wisp, but at the sight of Twilight she seemed much more cold. "Twilight, I already told you. Please, just leave"

"Hey, Fluttershy, shut up and let me talk!" Twilight finally yelled, silencing both other ponies. With a huff, she finally tried to continue. "Now-" Then, she felt a sharp pain around her hoof and pulled it from Pinkie's mouth, seeing a red indentation around it. "Ow! You bit me! You... you bit me!"

Pinkie Pie stepped up to Twilight, actually forcing the unicorn to lean back into the ground some while Pinkie stared her down. "You almost got me fired! Fluttershy had to take the fall for you!"

"Um, girls?" Fluttershy spoke up, drawing both ponies attention. She pointed to the window, which smoke was now seeping in through. "Something's burning"

With a sigh, Twilight finally pushed Pinkie away from her. "Well, if you hadn't interrupted me, you'd know..." She finally stood up straight and resumed her much louder, commanding voice. "I decided your little cottage here would need a bit of warming up! After all, you're toobusy having fun" She spoke primarily to Pinkie, "And you're just plainly fickle!" She then turned to Fluttershy. "Who's to make sure all your little pets are nice and toasty if you can't do it yourselves?"

Twilight's voice then fell back into its normal manner, and with a sigh, she continued. "I had more fire puns and this whole big monologue planned, but I have a headache now and I'd really rather not. But before I go..." Twilight trotted harmlessly over to the wall, giving it a quick but hard buck. "Ta-ta!" She said before vanishing into a wisp once more and flying back out the window.

Fluttershy had to dive to where Twilight had been standing, once again only barely succeeding in catching the many glass birds that Twilight had managed to get to tip and fall off the hanging shelf.

Pinkie hurried to the window, at first intent on yelling at Twilight to get back here, only to quiet herself when she saw the fire quickly spreading around the cottage outside. "Uh oh..." Pinkie hurried away from the window, bouncing towards Fluttershy. She continued to bounce in place when she said "We should probably leave. Right now!"

"I can't!" A desperate Fluttershy squeaked, carefully trying to gather up all the glass birds properly. Her eyes drifted to the glass Angel sitting off on the table. The realization that Fluttershy wouldn't be able to willfully leave suddenly became apparent to Pinkie.

Thankfully, a solution came banging on the door seconds later. "Fluttershy? Are you in there? Your house is on fire!" Rarity's voice sounded through the wood.

Pinkie bounded over to the door, pulling it open with one quick sweep and answering "We know!"

Rarity glanced over Pinkie's shoulder, spotting the downed Fluttershy, and quickly rushing over to help. "What are you doing like this? Come on..." Raising her horn, all of the delicate figures of the birds raised up and out of Fluttershy's grasp. "You can explain once we're outside" Rarity continued, manually helping Fluttershy onto her hooves and rushing outside with pegasus and glass birds in pursuit.

Pinkie stopped for just a moment to grab the glass figure of Angel off its table before rushing out the door.

They stopped running only after they'd gotten safely off the property, next to the treeline, finally taking an exhausted breath in plain view of the burning building if still completely safe from it. Rarity sat the birds onto the grass, giving them a nudge, and catching Fluttershy's look. "Let me guess, Twilight?"

"Duh!" Pinkie answered, setting down the glass form of Angel onto the grass. Rarity looked to all the glass figures laid about around her, and raised her head up, shining her horn brightly. After a quick flash, life suddenly returned. Their glassy bodies vanished in place of very lively ones, and suddenly the air was full of chirping and the sight of birds taking off into the sky.

The figure of Angel quickly went back to it's pure white form as well, quickly shaking itself back to life and scampering away. Fluttershy watched with amazed eyes. "But... I... how..."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just bring them over earlier, dear? You know I've worked with glass"

Pinkie turned and flashed a victorious smile to Fluttershy, who only sighed and laid her head down on the grass. She picked it up a second later, looking to Rarity surprised. "You've turned animals into glass before?"

"Photo shoots only, never permanently, and only if they were willing. I changed them back right afterwards of course"

"Where's everypony else?" Pinkie finally asked, breaking the two from their conversation. On cue, a loud thud brought them all to attention, looking towards the trees.

Spike and Applejack appeared from them, both with slight burn marks coating their bodies. Above their heads, they struggled to lift a much more heavily burned and barely conscious Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy gave a squeak of surprise, quickly rushing over and nudging herself in beside Applejack to support the wounded pegasus, taking Spike's place and allowing him to finally lower his arms and stumble over.

"You found them! Oh I knew you could do it!" Rarity rushed over to Spike's side, wrapping a hoof around him just as he started to tip over.

"Yeah, well... she was right, fireproof" Spike gave a dull smile, closing her eyes and leaning into the hug.

Applejack and Fluttershy lifted Rainbow over to the grass, setting her down there where the multicolored pegasus made some snide remark about an egghead under her breath. Pinkie Pie hopped up and down expectantly, finally asking "What happened to you guys?"

"Us? Why's Fluttershy's cottage burning?" Applejack asked in return. The group finally all went silent, looking to each other knowingly.

"Twilight" They all said in unison. It might have been funny if it weren't so painful.

As if called by them, a wisp of smoke soared high above their heads, twisting its way down across the grass from them before landing and materializing itself into the form of she who they spoke of. If faces were to tell the story, she was not happy. "I guess I should've seen this coming. Spike mindlessly consumes things and he doesn't work. Why would fire?"

Spike, seeming genuinely hurt by this comment, stepped back some. Rainbow on the other hand raised herself up from the ground, growling lightly and taking a step forward. Sensing her plan, Applejack sprang in front of her, forcing the pegasus to take a step back. The farmer gave the group a quick shake of the head, before looking to the pyromaniac.

"No matter what may have happened between us, nothing's going to change that" Fluttershy mumbled, though seeming genuinely hurt to have to say it. Her temper held for now.

"Now cut this out before we make you!" Rainbow yelled weakly, now taking another step forward and giving Applejack a tough shove out of the way.

Despite their words, Twilight's anger only grew. Quiet visibly, in fact, her mane flared up high above them and for a brief moment actually took the form of fire before returning to its original color scheme. "You can take your friendship and shove it! I only wish I'd done this sooner!" Twilight yelled, now aiming her horn forward. The high flying flames from her mane circled their way down through the air until they wrapped around her horn. A moment later, a jet of flame was fired forward from it.

The group only just had time to flinch and try to duck down when a bright light consumed all of them. There was a brief silence for a few moments, where the only thing that could be seen was a bright white before them.

Then, it faded away, and with it, the group saw a field of white light directly in front of them, which Twilight's fire now flared against but couldn't mange to get through or around.

"Twilight Sparkle!"A voice from high above yelled. Oh the group knew that voice.

Twilight must have known it as well, because the moment she heard it, she stepped back uncertainly, before turning and dashing away towards the forest. Mid-stride, her body lost its form and quickly changed back into its wispy ghost-like appearance, vanishing into the trees.

The bright white form of Princess Celestia herself slowly lowered down into the field, taking her stance in front of the group and stepping idly back and forth, staring into the forest as though she'd been expecting Twilight to return. Only when it became apparent that she would not did the Princess let the glowing on her horn cease, and with it, the magical field before the group vanished.

Wrath

by FishyCrackers431

Wrath