Chapter 1: Flint and Steel
"Mom, it's cold," the young Hot Spark stood in the winter tundra next to his mother, his fur white, and his mane an icy blue, "When can we go back to our tent?"
"Soon, honey," Aurora trotted along the edge of a small wood with Hot Spark, picking berries and placing them into her woven basket. "We can go home after we gather just a few more bushels."
"But why did I have to come? I'm a big colt!" Hot Spark had pouted
"Yes honey, you're a strong young stallion and I needed you to protect me," Aurora giggled and patted her son on the head, " But really, you're too young to protect the camp right now, you're not even interested in the fillies in your class yet."
"Yeah," he argued, "But that's because fillies are gross, that doesn't mean I can't kick some snow-golem flank!"
Aurora had bumped her companion on the back of the head. "Language, Hot Spark! I swear to Luna, you are just like your father." after this statement, there was an awkward pause as they continued gathering berries.
"Hey, mom?" Hot Spark asked, trying to get his mother's attention.
"Yes, dear?"
"What was dad like?"
Aurora had stopped in her tracks, an awkward air replaced the chilled winds that were common in this area. "Your father -" Aurora had taken a deep breath, attempting to come up with words that would spare her son's feelings and answer his questions. "-Your father was-"
"Mom," the young colt had interrupted, "you're crying, did I do something wrong?"
"No, honey, its all right, lets just finish gathering these berries and get back to the camp."
The remainder of their chore was accompanied by nothing but the sound of the wind whistling through the trees. When they completed their task, they walked back towards the camp, Aurora trotted with her head hung and the basket in her mouth, Hot had nuzzled his mother, took the basket from her, and carried it all the way home. Aurora walked home with a proud sad smile.
*
When they had arrived at their camp, they were stopped by the captain of the chieftain's guard, Cold Cut, and two soldiers whom have sharpened their horns into fine blades. A tall white unicorn with a purple mane with golden tassels and beads strung through, his cutie-mark: half of a snowflake with one appendage elongated into a sword.
"Halt!" Cold cut's voice had boomed forward, if the camp was only a few miles closer to the crystal mountains, it may have caused an avalanche. "Drop the basket, bastard, we have to claim some of your gatherings for the nobility."
"Yes, sir." Hot Spark glared at the ground as he put down the basket. Cold Cut had nodded his head and the two unicorns that had accompanied him and gathered a large portion of what was in the basket, leaving only enough berries to feed two ponies.
"You son of a bitch!" Hot Spark exclaimed, noting the amount of food that the cruel noble had left. "How do you expect us to make a living off of this?"
"Hot Spark, don-" Aurora spoke, but was immediately interrupted.
"Insolent brat!" -Cold Cut had kicked the child aside- "Maybe if your harlot of a mother hadn't slept with a pegusus from outside the herd, you two would have someone to provide for you."
Hot Spark struggled, bruised in the snow, putting his pain aside he stood up and charged the captain. "Don't you say anything bad about my mommy!" He was stopped by the two soldiers whom had taken charge stances, Hot knew he would die here should he continue.
"Hot, honey," Aurora spoke in a hushed tone, "We will make it through, we always do, it's okay."
"Control your brat Ma'am, -" the captain spit in the snow next to the child "- Lest he end up like the potential 'Novas of the North'". Aurora had trotted to where Hot was (barely) standing, she had nuzzled him softly.
"I will, sir."
*
Aurora's faced was riddled with terror and sadness. She had taken her brave martyr of a son home, where he had gotten a firm talking too in the shadow of night.
"I can not believe you Hot Spark," Aurora huffed as she disciplined her child, "Why could you not just keep your muzzle shut?"
"He takes our food every time we get any!" the young colt bucked the tree outside of their tent, causing snow to fall on top of him, he shook it off and continued his protest. "If dad was here, I'm sure he would have kicked their flanks!"
"What did I say about your language? " - Aurora bumped the back of her child's head.- "Besides, your father would have turned and run, he never did like confrontation.
"Why can you not just tell me about dad already?" Hot spark exhaled in frustration. Aurora had hesitated. She sat down in the snow and sighed.
"Alright, dear," she kicked her front hoof, sending snow forward, revealing a small patch of dirt that was underneath. " Your father, as you know, was a bold, daring, and dashing pegasus. He was moving a lightning storm from the Crystal Kingdom into more open land, where our herd had just happened to settle at the time. Handsome, fast, and different, I never really liked anyone around here, everypony is the same, he was different, exotic even. He was brave, he was strong, he was willing to take any challenge head on... Or at least he seemed that way. The second I had gave birth to you -"
"Ew, mom!" Hot had interrupted her story, "that's gross."
"As I was saying, the second we had saw... well-" Aurora looked around to make sure nobody was looking, "-saw your true colors, he turned tail and left. Unlike you, dear, he wasn't truly brave, he never would have defended me today."
"I'm sorry, mom," Hot Spark said, nuzzling his mother, "I'll never run away from a problem, I promise."
"Thank you, honey, now if you'll excuse me, I need to get going."
"Why do you always leave in the night, mommy?"
"I need to go see a few clients so I can make the money we need."
"Be careful, mommy," Hot Spark looked up at her mother concerned, "Maybe I can come with you and protect you." Aurora's face dropped.
"Dear, you do not want to see your mommy at work, it is grown up stuff. Now get back in the tent and go to sleep"
"Yes, mom."
There is a legend among the snowy unicorn herd of the Frozen North. A blind zebra born with future-sight had shared her vision with the corrupt chieftain, whom had feared a coming rebellion. "In the cold two ponies breed, the gentle mare given seed, born a colt born to lead, to destroy the ones on weak they feed. Colored away from the norm, save a mare in dire storm, blinding light of his horn, strongest blaze given form. From the ice he arise, a burning stare from his eyes, save the herd buried in lies, beware dear chief, for your demise." From this day on, the chieftain took the most terrible precaution one so sinister could conjure, he began to systematically slaughtering each of the male foals that were not born with white fur and the purple manes of nobility or the pale blue manes of the commoners, this practice was carried on through every set of chieftains for the last five centuries.
*
A dashing young pegasus stallion with dark blue fur, an even darker blue mane, and bright orange eyes was standing in a room with a beautiful young unicorn mare. The mare had white fur and an icy pale mane that flowed long in a braid tied to her tail in a knot, every so often, pale rainbow highlights glimmering in their luster.
"Lightning," Said the mare, " I think -" She took a deep breath "-I think that I might be pregnant".
Lightning had hesitated, " That's great Aurora! ..." He had stayed quiet, unsure what to say.
"Aren't you excited?" Aurora questioned, "You're going to have a child, something part of you and me... You don't seem very excited".
"It's just a lot to put on my plate."
*
Several months later, Aurora gave birth to a bright orange unicorn. Lightning Spark and her stared in terror at the child that lay before them.
"I-t's okay dear," Aurora testified, "I can change his colors! Th-they won't take our baby, I promise, they will never know." She demonstrated her special talent, changing the color of the child from orange to white, with the generic pale icy blue.
"Yeah... Okay, I trust you dear" Lightning Spark looked at the child "We can do this together."
"He has your eyes... Hot and warm,Let's name him Hot Spark" Aurora replied.
"So he does, Hot Spark it is." Lightning gave a seemingly warm smile.
That night, the pegasus had left Aurora and Hot Spark to fend for themselves, with not a trace other than a note by Aurora's side of his confessions, how he knew he wouldn't be a good father, how he was not going to see her again.
