//------------------------------//
// XII 
// Story: The Fire and The Flutter 
// by A. Tuesday 
//------------------------------//

	The door swung shut as the last doctor left the room, about 30 minutes later. After a bit more examination, we were all told the following:
1.)	Fluttershy would pull through, without a doubt. 
2.)	Her spine was damaged – she would need to be bedridden for a month at the absolute least – but the doctor expected more like at least 3 before she could even think about walking.
3.)	She had second-degree burns, but they’ve gone down, and will clear up soon.
4.)	Her wings were basically clipped. No flying for who-know-how-long, it was too soon to tell. At least 6 months grounded
5.)	There was no telling how long she’d be in a coma for. The docs expected at least two days.
We all breathed a massive sigh of relief. The yellow pegasus before us would perfectly fine, she just needed a little more rest.
Twilight (still guessing, wasn’t totally sure), said, her eyes still red from the tears she shed earlier, “Well, thank goodness she’s okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”
Celestia closed her eyes and nodded silently. “Yes, Twilight.” So I was right after all.
I had refused to say anything since we arrived here. The doctors were busy at work, and there was no reason to speak anyway. Anything that came out of my mouth would’ve been trouble.
Twilight looked back to Fluttershy. “But, what happened? I saw the warehouse on fire and all, but…” Her face was contorted in thought.
Celestia opened her eyes. “I think somepony here knows exactly what happened.” She glared at me. I felt my ears flop downwards in a new depression.
Twilight slowly walked up to me. “Do…do you know what happened? Actually, first, I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She held out her lavender hoof to me.
I put my scarlet one to hers. “Firestarter. Most ponies tend to call me F for short, though.”
“Charmed.” She took her hoof down. Solemnly, but full of curiosity, she asked, “So, what took place? Down there, at the warehouse?”
Celestia looked at me the entire time. I felt the weight her eyes carried as they stared into the fiber of my being. I took a long sigh and began. “This really started when I met Fluttershy…”
I went through everything – from when I formally met Fluttershy being harassed by the activists, to when I retrieved her from death beneath the waves. Twilight would occasionally look to her friend, although she never really asked a question, which, judging from  Fluttershy’s description of the lilac unicorn I was talking to, was unlike her. Either I was good at getting every detail, or she was too engrossed in the story to continue. 
She cringed at the part where the flamer gave Fluttershy a hearty smack on the back, and then, after I told them how I had cradled Fluttershy in my arms, I actually saw her sniff. I imagined her about to cry.
And then of course, I had to tell them about the fire. I had flashed my cutie mark at the two of them earlier, but refrained from telling them why I got it. There was no need for that. But, I did have to tell them about the incident at the park, something Twilight seemed surprised at, but Celestia seemed to know already.
Then, I told them how I lost it at the warehouse. I tried to be as basic as possible, without telling them how anger completely overcame me. Just that I lost control for a brief second, which I guess was due in part to me reaction of Fluttershy’s death. Or almost-death.
That’s when Twilight’s eye began to get wide. She didn’t back away, but seemed to be in utter shock. She didn’t understand how somepony would deliberately want to cause that sort of harm to other, but didn’t completely run away either.
I wrapped up, with Twilight running over to Fluttershy, after the fiasco. When it was over, the magic-savvy mare took a long gulp. “That’s um…quite the tale…Firestarter,” she said slowly.
Celestia, who looked at the ground, lost in thought, concurred. “Indeed.” Turning to her student: “Twilight, my faithful student, can you please go retrieve the bag we brought with us? It’s in the carriage close to the Marine Center.” Looking at me, “Where the Marine Center used to be, anyway.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Twilight turned and trotted out the door.
When she was sure her protégé had left, and had left the general area, Celestia turned to me. I refused to meet her in the eye. She made me incredibly uncomfortable, just her being there. We stood there awkwardly in silence; me, not having anything to say; Celestia about to say something but waiting; Fluttershy, comatose; and the only sound in the room being the beeps of the heart monitor.
Finally, a deep breath was heard as Celestia exhaled. Her eyes closed, she began to speak to me. “Firestarter,” she said, almost mumbling, “I have done my best to overlook your actions.”
The words sunk in horribly. Something bad was coming, I wasn’t exactly sure what, but something bad. I looked up at her as she opened her eyes. She continued to speak to me.
“My pupil knows nothing about what happened in Ponyville – or, more specifically, that you had any hoof in its happening. But, I, as you probably do, know. I know all big events that go on within my kingdom.”
More silence. I didn’t want to say a word – I was standing in the shadow of the most cherished mare in Equestria, and it wasn’t anything like I expected.
“It was good that you moved on. You were a filly; however traumatic the events were, and however much of a tragedy it turned out to be…you were still young. You knew what you did was wrong, and you left. It was better this way; you weren’t outcast, and you didn’t have to feel the guilt every time somepony looked at you. You let bygones be bygones, so they say. A wise, wise decision.”
She didn’t know. I felt the guilt almost every day – the three lives I ended that day were an unforgivable act, and it haunted me to the day. I even had nightmares about such things – but that’s a fact I didn’t want to point out to Celestia at this moment. Today was not the day to be correcting.
“I expected,” she went on, “That it would be the first and last time you would do that. For a time, there was no incident. I saw that you used your talent to the best of your ability – that was good.
“Twilight, however, soon told me of the problem our bedridden companion faced – so I suggested we arrive here, in hopes we could stop it. We were told of somepony setting a park on fire – I had wondered if it was you. But, I figured, it could’ve been somepony else.
“Then, we arrived at the Center, only to see it incinerated before our eyes. And who should be in the center of it – but the mare standing in front of me?”
I had absolutely nothing to say. Celestia knew this, too.
“Firestarter, I thank you for saving Fluttershy. I really believe that if you hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t’ve survived. But, I am disappointed in you. You are better than this. You are. And I would suggest moving on to a different city or town – far, far away from here.”
I nodded solemnly. 
“But, I’m afraid, that won’t cut it this time.”
This time, my eyes met hers. I had no idea what to expect at this point. Dungeon? Slave?...Maybe even execution?
“You’ve put too many ponies in danger with your actions. I don’t want them to live in fear, I don’t want anymore hurt – and I don’t want you to be an outcast your entire life. But, to avoid all this – I have to outcast you.”
I cocked my head to the side. She wasn’t making any sense.
Twilight returned, a bag filled with various items on her back. “I have them, Princess.”
She turned to her student. “Thank you, Twilight,” she said, and magically took the bag off of Twilight and put it on my back. I felt its weight; there was a whole lot to it. Seemed like a lot of different items, too.
Celestia turned her attention back to me. “Yes, it seems confusing – outcast to be not outcast – but, it’s sort of like the phrase ‘fight fire with fire’ – which I’m sure you’re all too familiar with, aren’t you?”
I might’ve laughed at a different time – but this wasn’t a different time, now was it?
“Therefore,” she said loudly, “As Ruler of All Equestria, I, Princess Celestia, hereby banish you, Firestarter, from all of Equestria. You will now be sent away to a point outside the borders, never to enter again.”
My jaw could’ve easily dropped – all of Equestria? This was a massive land. It was hard not to enter ANY of it. 
But I simply nodded and spoke my first words to Celestia that night: “I…I understand, Your Majesty.”
“No! You can’t!”
The soft, gentle voice came from to my left, and all of our heads looked to that direction.
Fluttershy was out of her coma. 
And, she had tears in her eyes.