Written Script knew time was running out and his window of getting out of the burning manor was rapidly closing. Fire was all around, and smoke both began making him cough and wheeze along with obscuring his vision. Even the fact that he had lit up his horn like a torch wasn't really helping much. A explosion knocked him to the floor and he barely managed to levitate Diamond out of the way before he fell on her and crushed her small form. He put her back onto his back and ran even faster, resembling a wingless Bat-Pony out of Tartarus with the flames not helping this comparison any.
As he ran through the hellishly lit hallways, a wooden beam from above cracked and gave way and fell towards Script. As he braced for death, suddenly it was turned into splinters by a blast of pure magic from one very ticked off lavender librarian of a unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle. Script took a quick look at her face and winced. If looks could kill, he suspected Nightmare Moon herself might be in trouble. Twilight tore into him.
"Do you know how irresponsible you are? Not to mention foolish?" Twilight yelled, and Written's temper was rising but he forced it down. Some part of him knew she had a point. He was foolish in doing this, despite Diamond being in danger. He could have been killed himself, and then where would that get him? Well, it would certainly leave his son without a father once more, and that was something Script just couldn't risk no matter what.
"So what'd you expect me to do? Just wait for this place to collapse and let a filly die?" Script growled, and Twilight took a step back before recomposing herself. "You know, you are really snappy at times, anypony ever tell you that?" Script snarled.
"Pot calling the kettle black much? You know, I really have half a mind to just lecture you!" Twilight retorted, her temper worsened by the already stressful situation. But she didn't have time to consider they both had logical points to their arguments rude as Script was about it as a another explosion rocked the place and a fireball came right towards them both.
"...But maybe not right now. Run!"
"Oh I am, I am!" Script yelled in fear. "In this position I couldn't possibly not run now could I?"
"Just move it!" Twilight said back.
As they galloped to safety, Written muttered "Don't need to tell me twice..." sarcastically under his breath. Soon, they found themselves outside in the warm spring weather just as the Manor collapsed completely behind them. Diamond was given to the proper caretakers, some medical ponies under Nurse Redheart's command as the fireponies put out what remained of the blaze behind them. As they loaded Diamond into a medical chariot Twilight took Script aside.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled or snapped at you. The stress, and the situation... It... it got to me." She confessed, and Script actually chuckled. Twilight gaped, of all the responses she would have expected from him, that was not it. She was, at the very least expecting him to be downright rude and/or storm off. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd done so to anypony. Huh, maybe he was actually starting to change.
"Bah. You're probably right as always. I was a fool, if not one without reason. Well, I suppose you can look on the bright side." Script said dryly. "You probably won't be the last one to chew me out. Oh, I should expect a call from my cousin any day now once she hears about this. Yeah, that'll be fun."
A voice came from behind them.
"Wait, did I hear right? WRITTEN SCRIPT is actually admitting he's wrong about something?" Good Eats asked mockingly, and Script's only response was to make a very rude gesture with his hoof at him. Twilight just sighed. It seemed she was wrong, Script hadn't changed as much as she thought. Then, Rainbow landed nearby and pulled them both aside.
"Hey, listen the fireponies wanted me to come and tell you this. The arson investigator has already done a bit of digging and guess what they found in the kitchen." Rainbow said before she held out a talisman. It took a moment, but Twilight soon registered what Rainbow was saying in her mind and gasped to herself.
"It... It was on purpose. The fire, all of it. But who would do such a thing?" Twilight asked in horror and sadness. Script growled to himself again.
"Well, I do know one thing. It better not turn out to be the freaking butler." He muttered.
Ponyville High School, History Classroom
The news of what had happened spread through Ponyville like wildfire. Written Script had yet to realize this, but he'd become something of a celebrity. However, as the days went on he soon found out about it, and as anyone would expect of somepony of his... demeanor he wasn't pleased at about it in the slightest. It was just about the end of the school day, and Script was on his last class with his students. His room was wall to wall history related items, with a golden spear hung above his desk and old texts and photos in glass cases. On the blackboard was some information on the Griffin/Pony war almost two decades before.
"Okay, any questions before I dismiss you lot?" Script asked, unknowingly tempting fate.
To his surprise, practically everypony (Even his son who was in the back of the room) raised their hooves. Script blinked in confusion for a moment, but he quickly figured out what was going on and growled to himself.
"Maybe I should rephrase the question." He stated sarcastically. "Any questions not related to recent events shall we say?"
Everyone put their hooves down as Script groaned and his head met his desk several times. After he'd stopped bashing his brains out some, he muttered "Oh, it's going to be one of THOSE days isn't it?"
CMC Clubhouse, Sweet Apple Acres
Meanwhile, as Script was dealing with his new-found and quite unwanted fame, the trio of fillies known to just about everypony as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were having one of their latest meetings. They too had heard of what happened, and each took it rather differently as we'll soon see.
"So Crusaders, what should we do about getting our marks this time?" Scootaloo asked before she rattled off some suggestions. "Parasailing, treasure hunting, or maybe even pie eating?"
Apple Bloom rubbed her tummy and sighed wistfully as she said "Ah am down for that."
"Let's just not try baking again." Sweetie replied with a embarrassed look on her face as she remembered what happened the last time. So much dough... "We all know what happened last time we tried that."
It was then she noticed Apple Bloom's expression, one of sadness as she stared out the window towards the direction of where the Rich Manor once was in Ponyville.
"Apple Bloom, are you alright?" Scootaloo asked in concern and got a shake of the head in response. Scootaloo frowned to herself, given all she had seen she had a feeling about what was bothering one of her two best friends.
"It's just that..." Apple Bloom trailed off as she explained. "Ah was thinking about Diamond. And about what happened, y'all know what ah mean?"
Sweetie scoffed as she remembered all the times she'd been called a crybaby and a blank flank by Diamond, not to mention the magicless unicorn comments. Scootaloo on the other hoof also remembered the teasing Diamond had done about her being flightless and Diamond's general snobbery, but also knew she could be more then she seemed... right?
"Why should we care? She's a bully, and she hates us!" Sweetie snapped as the memories flooded back to her. Apple Bloom gave the harshest glare her two friends had ever seen.
"Sweetie, what if it was you? What if it was your sister and your parents who'd died in a fire?" Apple Bloom yelled, her own memories of losing her parents when the barn collapsed when she was just a toddler returning. As for Sweetie, she had nothing to answer the young Earth Pony's response. Scootaloo then broke up the silence with a question she thought they should be asking as well.
"Hey, what about Silver? She's Diamond's best friend. What does she think of all this?" The orange Pegasus asked, and Apple Bloom's and Sweetie's eyes widened. They really hadn't considered that.
"I... I don't know." Sweetie asked. "But seeing as how they're best friends you would think that she's at least somewhat sympathetic right?" And then Scootaloo got another brainstorm.
"We should make cards! I don't like Diamond, but it's the right thing to do. Heck, I bet I can get the whole class to do it!" She exclaimed before climbing down the clubhouse ladder and flying off towards Ponyville on her scooter. Apple Bloom and Sweetie stared and shared a look.
"...What just happened?" Sweetie asked and Apple Bloom replied "Ah... Ah don't know."