> Left to burn > by firedash > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The warehouse was cold but I knew it wouldn't be for long. I was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. I was searching around to see if I could get out but there was nothing in my reach. My head hurt like no other and every breath had the taste of gasoline fumes. It was getting harder for me to stay awake until I heard the unmistakable sound of a match lighting and footsteps out a door. I looked up to see the match fall and looked down to a puddle of an unknown liquid, but at this point I all ready knew I was going to be burned alive. It is interesting to know that when you are about to die, time seems to move at a stand still. When you have a gun to your head, you can feel the air violently jerk when the bullet is fired. A normal pony will have their whole life flash before their eyes as they greet death. Unfortunately for me I did not get this privilege. I got to sit and watch the match make its graceful decent to the pool of gasoline around me. I, knowing that I was a dead pony, forced myself to bring up one memory of joy, but in my life it seemed I had next to none. The match at this point was about two feet from the ground, and I let myself be at peace for the first time in a long time. At one tiny foot left until a painful demise, I remembered making my first and last friends. *** Three months earlier It was a warm and sunny day in the streets of Canterlot. Stallions were dressed up in their fancy clothing and the mares we in there pretty dresses and their silky clothes. I lived in this bright and sunny city but I knew I wouldn't be here much longer. My name is Pyro Dancer, a name I wish I didn't have. I worked for a certain agency that took down the ponies in this world that make it a living hell. As a member of the Equestrian Cleaner Crew I never stayed in one location for more than a month. I was on recon for a target I was assigned, and he was the governor of Cloudsdale, so he was a very important pony with very powerful friends. He was using his position to pardon and allow the production of weather weapons, which has been outlawed ever since the Cloudsdale Lighting Crisis. He wore a very expensive tux and kept close to billionaires. Filthy Rich, and Fancy Pants. They were sponsors of him for the next upcoming election, but had no idea of what his plans were. From what I was told, he was mixing magic containment spells and lightning to create a super charged electric grenade that could down an entire city, and I simply wasn't going to let that happen. From what I heard from the near by ponies, he would be attending the gala and then head home with a special pony, and from what I read on his profile it would most likely end up in a one night stand. I was able to purchase tickets to the gala, but I would be going under a mask. The gala was bigger than ever this year, probably something to do with someone else hosting other than Celestia, but I wasn't there for the party. As I got near the governor, I saw his glass right out in the open, unfortunately I had to make sure it was his otherwise there would be more than one casualty. I pick up his glass and approached him about it. "By any chance could this be your glass?" I asked him "Why as a matter of fact it is, forgive me for leaving it in your way." He said. "Oh, do not worry, I was just making sure I didn't mix up our drinks." I said. "Here, do you mind if I take that from you?" He asked. "No, after all it is all yours." I said maliciously. As I gave him the glass, I slipped in one of the more nasty poison's, Night's Bane. It complexly paralyses the victim while attacking all of their vital organs. It is a vicious one and I don't like how horribly not classy it is, but the job had to be done. I then proceeded to leave the gala when I was stopped by an annoying pink pony. "HI, are you leaving the party so soon?" She asked. " As a matter of fact, I must leave and I very sorry that I must do so." I said, wanting to escape as fast as possible. "Well here, you can come to the after AFTER Party!" She said handing me a very heavy and extremely pink envelope. "I'll be sure to drop by." I said with a fake smile "BYE!" She said as i walked away. All I had left to do was to walk to the carriage I was given and ride away listening for the horrified screams of and entire gala. *** It had been three days of lying low. As a pony who has worked in this line of work this was very unusual. The longest I ever had to wait before was a day at the most. It is probably a security compromise, I thought to myself which admittedly didn't help my current situation. Right before I was going to bail, a letter came through the mail slot. It was completely blank and sealed, and when I opened it, it only said one thing Bakery. I then immediately knew where to go and I headed in that direction. When I arrived at the doughnut shop I knew exactly who my informer would be, and it was no other than doughnut Jo. I sat down at the designated ECC seat and waited for my order. When the waitress arrived I told her to tell Jo i would like to see the new things on the menu. Jo then picked up a menu from the back and came to give it to me. I took the file inside it and left the shop. What I then saw on the file was a name I have been searching for my whole career. Arsona Burns. As I read this name I was already filling up with rage. This one pony had brought so much pain to me I was pleased to hear that I would be the one ending him. I took the file back to my room and packed up for the next city of my target. Ponyville.