//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: Fire and Ice 
// by X3n0heart 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 4: Feather's Fall


Rarity's message kept running through his head as Fenix made his way from building to building making his way to Sweet Apple Acres. "Find Apple Jack. Tell her what's happened. She will help." Fenix darted behind some boxes as a couple of mares walked by talking about the storm that's supposed to be coming in a few hours now and wondering if it was all true or not. He knew it was true for he felt it in his feathers and it will be on top of them soon enough so he must hurry and free his friends. 
When it was clear again he quickly darted into the shadows of the next building. He was getting closer to the edge of town and it was becoming harder to stay out of sight with each passing building. He remember her telling him that when he came to the farthest building that he'll have to wait till it's clear and then fly as quickly as he could manage until he reached the lower orchards where he could then land and make his way through the trees until he reached the Apple's residents. Looking around Fenix saw a few ponies hanging around and needed to wait for them to clear off. It was only a few minutes that he had to wait for one of their friends called them over and that was his cue. 
Taking off like a thunderstorm Fenix flew as fast as his wings and damaged body would allow. Staying low and as silent as his wings could be he reached the trees in only a matter of moments before he was able to land and slunk behind the nearest apple tree. Breathing heavily he waited till he had his breath under control before moving on. 
"Been a long time since I flew like that." he chuckled to himself as he steadied himself and started to trot up the hills towards where the main house was at. He didn't have much time to just linger and was hoping he could find the earth pony quickly without to much trouble. It took him about another thirty minutes before he finally reached the last of the trees that were nearest to the house. Fenix waited a few moments and looked around waiting to see if he could find that peach earth pony. 
Fenix started to become anxious for he couldn't sit around for to long. It was just wasting to much time just waiting for her to show up. She could be anywhere and he thought that it was time to just go out and find her himself. Fenix was about to take a step out of the shadows of the trees when he heard a heavy thud nearby. Crouching low he looked around from where the sound could have originated from. There it was again. Another heavy thud that sounded like somepony was kicking down the trees. Staying low Fenix made his way towards where the sounds were coming from moving from tree to tree. 
Another heavy thud was heard as he saw the earth pony he was looking for. She was bucking the trees that still had some apples on it which fell into a waiting basket on the ground. He noticed it was hardly half full as she gazed up at the tree with a sad look in her eyes. Taking a breath he stepped out from behind the tree and made himself known.
"You are Apple Jack, correct?" Turning quickly and getting into a defensive stance, the earth pony's eyes glared at the orange pegasus as she stood her ground in front of the basket of apples.
"Ya can't 'ave them, ya hear?" she warned him.
"I do not want your apples. Rarity told me to come find you and ask for your help." He started to explain. Apple Jack relaxed a bit at Rarity's name and stood up a bit. Fenix sat down and started to tell Apple Jack everything. From his escape to the help he received from Rarity and Sweetie Bell. He told the earth pony about his and Rarity's conversation late into the night and how Sweetie Bell slept under his wing all night. Fenix went on to explain how Twilight showed up and Rarity hid him in a back room and tried to convince her that she didn't know anything. He continued to tell Apple Jack about how Twilight tortured Sweetie Bell just to get what she wanted from Rarity which Rarity still lied to her and how in the end she still killed the little filly with no remorse and just left Rarity there in shock.
"That's fucking insane!" Apple Jack couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sweetie Bell is...dead?" Fenix just nodded as he just sat there not really looking at the earth pony. AJ made her way over to the orange pegasus and sat next to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Fenix's eyes started to water as he did his best to remain calm but it was no use. He started to cry as he started to confess to the earth pony.
"I couldn't do anything...I couldn't help that little filly...and now she is dead!" Fenix shut his eyes tight as tears continued down his cheeks. "She...she even said she liked the way I talked." Apple Jack just pulled him close and held him for a few minutes before he wiped his eyes and looked over at her. "Thank you..." he said as she just smiled at him. 
"Apple Bloom ain't gonna to take this very well. 1/3 of the Crusaders is gone." she said softly. She got up and helped the pegasus to his feet before continuing. "You said Rarity has a plan? Well let's head over yonder and get inside. You can tell me everything about it once we get out of this cold and get some lunch in our bellies." Apple Jack picked up the basket and tossed it onto her back before waving a hoof for him to follow her. Fenix followed behind Apple Jack as she made her way to the front door and went inside. He heard her speak to everypony about having a guest and to be kind to him as he hesitated right outside the door way. 
Returning to the door she waved him in. "Dun be shy now. These are good folks in here and are mah family." Fenix followed her inside and stood to the side as she shut the door behind him. "Everypony this is...uhh sorry I forgot mah manners and didn't ask for your name." Fenix watched as three more earth ponies walked into the living room. A much older green mare, a big strong red stallion and another little filly wearing a pink bow that looked a bit to big for her. His icy blue eyes averted as soon as he saw the filly and he kept them on the floor.
"My name is Fenix Fire." he said with a sadness to his strange accent. "Please call me Fenix." he added as he looked back up at Apple Jack and she smiled at him.
"Well everypony this is Fenix and is a guest for lunch today." She finished her earlier introduction as she pointed a hoof at each one saying their names in turn. "That's Granny Smith."
"Well howdy there."
"That's Big Macintosh."
"Ayep."
"And this here his Apple Bloom."
"Glad to meet ya. Hope you are hungry me and Granny Smith have made some fresh apple pies and they smell delicious." she beamed with excitement. Fenix tried his best and give her a smile as she came trotting over and taking his hoof leading him towards the kitchen. 
"Don't fret yourself now, Fenix and get something to eat. We'll talk in a bit." When they have left the room Apple Jack waved both Granny Smith and Big Mac over to her and related everything that Fenix told her not to long ago. When she was finished all three of the ponies sat there in silence for a few moments with the only sounds coming from the kitchen where Apple Bloom was showing Fenix all kinds of things and explaining what they were. In return he was cheering up a bit and was asking questions about everything.
"Here try one of these apple fritters." Apple Bloom said as she placed one on a plate in front of him.
"What's an apple fritter?" he asked as he looked at the pastry sitting in front of him.
"Just try it. You'll really like it!" she said with a smile. Fenix bent down and took a bite and chewed slowly then took another bite and smiled to the filly. 
"You're right." he said after swallowing the bite. "This is pretty good." He took another bite and continued eating as she explained.
"We made those the other day but they last for a good while and are still just as good as the day they are first made." Apple Jack walked in as Fenix finished off his fritter and smiled at her. 
"I see Apple Bloom 'as started with the entrees." she chuckled as she started cutting up on of the pies and dishing it out on plates for everypony. As they started eating Fenix noticed the time. 10:58AM. Roughly two hours before said storm was going to hit Ponyville. Not much time for Rarity's plan but he still had to try. When they were finished and had cleaned up Fenix laid out the plan Rarity had come up with.

Fenix crouched on top of one of the roofs near the main square waiting those last few agonizing minutes for their plan to go in effect. His body still hurt and luckily none of his wounds has opened up so far but his eyes and ears where sharp and on point. Fenix spotted movement near the fountain and he noticed it was Rarity getting into position and that was his que. She looked nervous and kept looking over her shoulder as if expecting Twilight to just magically show up out of nowhere. The white unicorn spotted him and gave a slight nod as she took a few deep breaths and her horn started glowing a light blue color. That same blue covered both of the cages as the pegasi inside of them watched her intently wondering what was going on.
"What is she doing?" Sunflower asked Torch as they were both standing waiting for anything bad to happen to them. 
"I have no idea but I've never seen her use magic on us before. It was always Twilight that would do anything with us or the cages." he answered back. Fenix watched Rarity and the two pegasi closely waiting for his chance to act. Rarity seemed to be struggling with her magic as she closed her eyes and concentrated harder on the magical locks that were keeping them trapped inside. Fenix noticed that his cage was still there in the middle of the other two the top bars bent outwards from where he made his escape from. His eyes shifted back to Rarity and he could tell she was having trouble now and was starting to sweat a bit from the magical strain that was taking it's toll upon her.
"Come on Rarity...I know you can do it." he said quietly to himself urging her on. 
"RARITY! STOP!" Screamed the familiar voice of that purple unicorn.
"Oh shit!" Fenix breathed as he quickly spotted Twilight running from the far end of town at a full gallop down the main road of town. Turning his attention back towards Rarity he noticed she didn't even flinch when Twilight called her name as she was focusing every bit of will power she had into her own magic. Looking back down the road he noticed Twilight's horn started to glow and then she just disappeared. He blinked a few times which caused him to sit up giving his position away. Quickly searching the area he saw her appear right next to Rarity as her eyes snapped open and she was smiling. 
"I did it Sweetie Bell." Was all that Fenix heard as everything else seemed to move in slow motion. Twilight turned and bucked as hard as she could, one hoof hitting Rarity squarely in the throat while the other was a direct hit to her horn snapping it clean off. The cages of the pegasi opened slowly as their eyes widened with shock at not only being set free but also the brutality of Twilight's attack. Turning around as everything seemed to speed back up to real time, Twilight watched Rarity slam hard into the side of the fountain hearing ribs crack and break under the force of the impact. Charging at full speed she lowered her horn and rammed it into her heart blood spraying all over her face and the side of the concrete. Twilight pulled it out with another spray of blood as Rarity coughed some of that crimson liquid out onto the white snow as she looked up at her and smiled for she couldn't speak anymore. Enraged Twilight thrust her horn into her side again and again and again. By the time she was done Rarity's torso could hardly be recognized. 
A whistle was heard from up above and both pegasi looked up and over to the West side of the square where they saw the orange pegasus waving for them to hurry and come. Quickly getting out of their cages Sunflower and Torch turned and were about to take off when they heard Twilight scream with rage once again as she started to build magical energy in her horn.
"NO YOU FUCKING DON'T!" Twilight lowered her head and fired a beam of pure magic at the two before they had a chance to take to the air. Torch was a bit faster and knocked Sunflower out of the way as she landed on her face in the snow quickly looking back in time to see half of Torch's body along with his right wing just melt to the bone as sizzling flesh and tissue could be heard falling to the ground. Half of his face had been blasted away leaving nothing but his skull exposed as he fell next to her and with his last breath he said, "Run..."
Getting up on all her hooves Sunflower flapped her wings and took to the sky as fast as her small frame would let her. Fenix was right there next to her as they went higher and higher out of reach of the crazy unicorn. They flew as fast as they could heading for Sweet Apple Acres as he wondered what happened to Apple Jack and why she didn't stick to the plan.
Laughing to herself Twilight sat down and called out to the two fading into the distance, "Let me show you something I learned from my brother!" Closing her eyes she began to power up her magical energies once again her horn glower brighter and brighter with each passing moment. Not long after there was a second glow, like an overglow to her horn, followed by a third. Opening her eyes she let all that magical energy go creating a huge purplish shield around Ponyville. Twilight continued to laugh to herself sitting next to Rarity's corpse blood still flowing out of it soaking into Twilight's tail and the surrounding snow.
"What the hell is that?" Sunflower shouted as a purplish wall seemed to form only feet from in front of them. Both pegasi smacked hard into it making them come to a complete stop. 
"I have no idea." Fenix replied as he felt around with his hoof. "But I don't think we'll be getting out anytime soon." he added as he looked back towards where the distant laughter of Twilight Sparkle finally reach both of their ears. Sunflower moved closer to Fenix as they hovered there not knowing what to do now for Sweet Apple Acres was on the other side of the shield and they had no way to get there.