private Life in Canterlot

[Artemisia 166]

Artemisia chased after Lark. She pounded on the door with him. "Fire at the Library! Somebody help!" She shouted, a lovely moment ruined but there were more important things at hand. She pounded at the door some more, hoping that the inhabitants would soon enter. "FIRE!"

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale nearly jumped out of her chair when she heard the pounding on her front dear. "Dear me..I'm coming!" She called out, partially annoyed. She opened the door with her magic before she got to it. "Good heavens. What in Equestria is going on? You'll wake the entire town!" She exclaimed, frowning at them.

[Artemisia 166]

"I hope we do! There is a fire at the library! You are the only person to answer their door," She said frantically "Come on!"

She started to freak out, the mare was being rude when the library was at stake and she was frowning at them for interrupting her beauty sleep! Sheesh. "Let's go! Allon-sy!"

[anythingmasterz 75]

At the same time Artemesia was speaking, he said, out of hurriedness, "The library's on fire! Do you have anything we can use to help put it out? The fire's huge!" He didn't want to overstress this pony, but it was of utmost importance that the fire got put out as fast as it could. "At least, do you know of a way we can get some weather pegasi in here to take care of it?" His pupils shrunk as his eyes widened due to the urgency. He did live in a forest after all, and knew just how devastating a fire can be.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

"I-fire?!" The annoyance on Pale's face melted away and turned into horror. "Go 3 houses down, the Fire Cheif lives there. Hurry!" She cried out, pushing her way past them and running as fast as she could to the library, forgetting about everypony that she'd been talking to. "Oh, Celestia.." She breathed when she saw the large black cloud of ash. She turned onto the street the library was on and stopped short. The library- her library- was up in flames. Even all the weather ponies in Equestria would have trouble putting the fire out before the library was gone, let alone the buildings around it that had caught on fire. Pale's eyes widened and she ran to the front steps, looking around the flaming windows and collapsing structure. "Page Turner? Page?!" She screamed out. Page Turner was the librarian who had been covering for her on her day off. She wasn't anywhere around the burning building, so she had to be inside. Pale looked up and down the library, the fire reflecting in her eyes. Her white coat was being stained by the black ashes that were raining down, her mane was completely disheveled, and her eyes were wide in panic. "Page.."

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale put one of her hooves on the cold white steps. "Page!" She screamed again, flinching as she heard the crashing of support beams falling inside. She closed her eyes and raised her head, her horn sparkling with magic. A light purple bubble appeared around her, and she looked at the front doors. She hesitantly walked up the steps and closer to the fire to see if her spell was working, and sighed in relief when she didn't feel the heat of the fire. She stopped infront of the front doors and inspected them; hopefully nothing was on the other side when she opened them.

 

"I'm coming, Page.."

[anythingmasterz 75]

Lark galloped as fast as he could as soon as he discovered the location of the firehouse. He started banging on the door with the same result as the last; taking a long while to take that short walk to their own front door. "What's all the commotion?" Grumbled the fire chief, "A fire broke out on the library! We need to hurry!" rushed Lark. "Oh...." the chief disdainfully remarked, "Well, get over there and make sure nopony does anything stupid, we'll be right over". Lark ran all the way back to the library just in time to see Pale weeping, then putting a bubble in front of her. Lark knew what was going to happen and wanted to say Wait, the fire brigade is coming! You don't need to do this!, but he just couldn't bring himself to say that knowing what it was like to lose a close friend, and for that matter family. Lark knew he needed to say something, so he said, "The fire brigade is coming!", feeling a little lame and weak for not wanting to stop her.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

If not for the fire that was surrounding her, Pale would've collapsed on the ground sobbing. All the books were burning at one point; none of them could be salvaged. She slowly made her way through the foyer of the library. She looked up; normally there would be a large skylight above her, but now there were just burning bookshelves and fallen support beams. The building was creaking and crackling from the force of the fire. She suddenly felt heat on her coat an coughed. She looked around her; the bubble of magic was disappearing. She closed her eyes and focused he magic to strengthen it. "Page?!"

[anythingmasterz 75]

Lark really wanted to go in to make sure that the unicorn that went in was safe as well as whoever else was in there, but he had no idea how to check. Hmmm... maybe I can fly over to see anything.. Lark took off, flying up, struggling at first due to sporadic use of his wings then slowly climbing his way into the sky. He flew around the pillar of smoke, trying to see absolutely anything. All I can see if flames and smoke! Blast.

Lark took a deep breath and then flew into the smoke, hoping to find any way through the smoke. His eyes started watering as the putrid smoke infiltrated them and he had to back out, turning around and flying back out. As soon as he left, he coughed a few times and wiped his eyes out.

He looked down and thought he saw somepony yelling at him, but he didn't listen. He saw the fire brigade fighting back the fire and he tried to concentrate, hoping to find a way to break through the porous smoke. Lark flew around the building again, circling it, then frowned, realizing the true futility of his action and backed off. Nothing I can do... Lark sorrowfully thought to himself as he landed back on the ground.

When he landed back down, he sunk his head, worrying for the unicorn inside the building.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale took a few more steps and some support beams collapsed in a heap in front of her. She temporarily lost her concentration and the bubble disappeared, smoke and heat engulfing her almost immediately. She coughed a few times and struggled to bring the bubble back, when she heard a quiet voice amongst the crackling flames.

 

"...Pale?" Paye Turner lifted her head, peering around the smokey room.

 

"Page?" Pale called out. They kept calling each others names until Pale found her, coughing and trembling is the ground. Pale tried conjuring the bubble around both of them, but she didn't have the energy to do so. She conjured it around Page, who was in much worse condition then her, an lay down beside her, coughing from the smoke and going lightheaded from the heat. "It's ok Page.."

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale lay on the ground beside the bubble, using all her remaining energy to keep the bubble going. She coughed a few times and lay her head on the ground, inhaling smoke and gazing into the flames.

 

Page Turner had gotten her breathing back to normal since Pale had formed the bubble around her. "IN HERE!" She yelled. She looked down at Pale. "Pale? Are you ok?"

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale exhaled and closed her eyes, limp against the pony that was carrying her.

 

Page Turner looked up as the last of the ponies got out of the building. The building creaked, and slowly started to fall apart into a heaping mass of burning bookshelves and rafters, as well as a large cloud of black smoke and fire.

[anythingmasterz 75]

As soon as Lark saw the fire brigade come back out, he released a deep breath he didn't notice he was holding in, seeing that both ponies, the one that went inside and the one she was most likely searching for, were at least living, although they were both in absolutely horrid condition. Lark let out another cough from the smoke he had inhaled in his earlier attempt of entering through the roof and went over to the side of the ponies that were inside the burning library, listening to their conversations.

[Artemisia 166]

Artemisia, dumb struck, stood by and watched as all of this occurred. She shook her head and looked to the rescue team in search of a way to help. She paced back and forth hoping everything would be okay. She was dumb struck. She galloped after lark. "What is everponys status? How serious are injurys? Damages?!" She began to ask him while rambling, she was unsure of how to react or help in this situation.

[anythingmasterz 75]

Hearing Artemisia, not wanting to worry her too much said, "Everypony's fine. They're just gonna need a while to recover back up to their normal strength. All that was damaged was the library... and all the books", coughing as he finished. "Just... don't worry too much, it'll just be a matter of time, nopony is going to die" He said, turning around to look at Artemisia to show his confidence in the situation turning into good.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

//barely//

 

Page Turner rubbed her eyes and looked up at Iron. "I thought I was dead, but Pale found me. She used her magic to save me instead of protecting herself." She said quietly, looking at the stretcher that Pale had been placed on.

 

Pale heard commotion around her. Fire... She thought, her vision blurry and her mind hazy. She blinked slowly when the medic spoke to her, then coughed a few times. She closed her eyes and exhaled gently, her mind still wandering amongst the flames.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale felt the temperature drop as she was moved outside. She was glad for the cold; the building had been so hot. She heard Iron's voice and felt him touch her shoulder. "Iron.." She murmured, sighing. She opened her eyes about halfway and looked into his eyes.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale half smiled at him and touched the tip of his nose with her hoof. "I'm fine. It's ok. " she pushed herself into a sitting position so she was more eye level with him. "She would've died. I had to find her. Sorry I just ran off though.. " she laughed quietly, looking away.

 

Pale half smiled at him and touched the tip of his nose with her hoof. "I'm fine. It's ok. " she pushed herself into a sitting position so she was more eye level with him. "She would've died. I had to find her. Sorry I just ran off though.. " she laughed quietly, looking away.

[anythingmasterz 75]

The medics had deemed the tent safe to enter, Pale having been recovered to a safe point, and Lark decided to enter, saying, "Everypony ok in here? The library is... entirely destroyed now. The other buildings are still in tact, thanks to the fire brigade... By the way, you were very brave for going in to that library... since it was burning and everything...." Lark finished, lamely. He glanced over at Pale and saw the various burns throughout her body, trying to hide the grimace that came across his face.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale smiled at him. "You are one fantastic pony as well, Iron. I'll let you be the hero now." She smirked slightly and looked at the medic. "Am I ok? No limbs lost or anything?" She blinked at him and sat up, her hoof still in Iron's. "Will I be ever be able to play the violin?"

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale called out a 'thank you' to the medic as he dashed away. She turned back to Iron and grinned. "I think so. And yes, I've always wanted to perfect playing the violin." She giggled and stepped carefully off the stretcher beside him. She twisted around and inspected her mane and coat; black in spots from the ash, burned slightly, mane tangled. "Good lord. I am a sight to see, aren't I?"

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale smiled up at him and nodded. "Alright. I could use some tea right now.." She walked with him back to her house. "Do you want some tea as well?" She asked, filling the kettle with water. "Oh. Is Page Turner alright? I didn't see her before we left." She mused, turning the stove on to heat the water.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale smiled. "Alright. Thank you." She went upstairs into the bathroom and filled the sink with water as she brushed her mane. She got a washcloth and started washing the ash stains from her white coat. She looked into her eyes in the mirror and gasped suddenly. She saw the library; smoke billowing from it, books burning and turning into piles of ash. She took a small step back from the mirror and the floor creaked, drawing the image and sound of the collapsing library back into her mind. She dropped the hairbrush onto the floor and stared into her eyes in the mirror.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale kept starting into her eyes in the mirror. The library.. She thought. All the books.. She tore her eyes away from the mirror and almost imediately started crying quietly. The entire library is gone..the books Princess Luna gave us...copies of Twilight Sparkle's letters to Princess Celestia..

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

Pale wrapped her hooves around him tightly and closed her eyes. She sniffed quietly, her tears dropping onto his coat as well as hers. She opened her eyes partially, staring down at the floor. "The library's gone...I should've worked today, I probably could've stopped it before it destroyed the..entire library.." She trailed off, more tears running down her face.

 

//*pats your back* there there xD//

Edited October 9, 2012 by Princess Nightingale