Fire Fly: Pain of a Pegasus

I always loved flying even when I was a little colt. My dad once told me when I was born hours after I was flying around the room like crazy! My Dad was the head of the royal air force. I loved my Dad so much I always looked up to him. When he would be done with his rounds he would take me up REALLY high. Higher than I could ever go. At that point I was a little colt. My Mother was a unicorn! She was a baker but her cutie mark was of a star with magical sparkles around it but I never cared I loved her anyway. I was always in the air I loved it. My Dad would always watch me fly he told me I was his little racer! He would just watch me for hours seeing me sore through the skies.

One evening I was doing what I always did Flew. It was getting a bit late and I didn't notice my Dad walk up. “GOOD JOB SON!” He yelled with pride in his voice. I looked down and yelled myself. “THANKS DAD!” My Dad looked up and asked me to fly down. Hey sport come down here I got a surprise for you! I darted down as fast as I could thinking “OH MY GOSH WHAT COULD IT BE?” I hovered there for a moment and then landed. “What is it Dad?” I ask with excitement. My Dad had one of the hay eating grins on his face when he had something BIG for me. He held out a slip of paper to me. I looked confused. I wanted to know what this could be? I took it and look at the slip. It was an entry ticket for the Equestrian Young Fliers Competition. “Di.....did you enter Dad???” My Dad laughed at me a bit and then calmed down and said. “No sport....I entered you!” I opened my eyes widely in unbridled happiness. “OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO RACE IN THE EQUESTRIAN YOUNG FLIERS COMPETITION!” I was screaming as loudly as I could. My Dad squinted his eyes and looked away with a big smile on his face.

My Mother walked out of the house and asked. Whats all the noise out here boys? “MOM MOM MOM DAD ENTERED ME INTO THE EQUESTRIAN YOUNG FLIERS COMPETITION!” My smile kept getting bigger and bigger. Fire Flash! My Mother said with surprise. “Are you sure it's safe?” She was always worried about me all the time. My Dad laughed and told my mother. “Yeah I raced in it! And look at me now!” He laughed more but she was not as happy. I was bouncing around like crazy! “Well boys come in for dinner I made hay fries tonight!” WOW the two best things that could ever happen to me! We went in and ate dinner. Mom always makes the best hay fries!

After dinner my Mom took me into my room and put me to bed. I fell deeply to sleep. But a while after I woke back up. I heard screaming out of the living room. It was my Mom and Dad. “HOW COULD YOU ENTER HIM INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT FLASH?” My Dad screamed back “OH come on Star Light you can't tell me you don't want him to do what he loves for the rest of his life?” She replied, “I WILL DIE BEFORE PUTTING FIRE FLY IN DANGER! BUT YOU JUST WANT TO THROW HIM OFF A CLIFF!”

I woke up the next day. After a big breakfast Dad scooped me up and started to galloped to the front door. Mom gave Dad a stern and angered look Dad gave her the same. Then he walked out to door. “Well sport are you ready to go to the qualifiers track?” Dad asked with an excited sound in his voice. “YEAH DAD!” I yelled with happiness. Dad took off and we went to the track. We landed at the track and Dad set me down. “Stay here sport while I check you in.”Dad flew off to the sign in desk. I flew over to the track looking at everything. “I can't believe I am here! I thought to myself.” Dad trotted back over humming a sweet tune. “OK Fire you are checked in!” The ref yelled out over the low rumble of voices. “ALL CONTESTANTS TAKE YOUR PLACES AT THE STARTING LINE!” Dad and I both walked over to the starting line. Dad stopped me and leaned down. “Ok Fire I know you can do this! But is anything happens. If you don't make it. Just know that you are my little racer!” Dad hugged me and flew up to the stands. I took my place and got ready. The ref lifted the flag up. Then quickly through it down and we were off! I flapped my wings as hard as I could pushing myself forward. Before I knew it I have out lapped the others by five laps. I looked over to Dad and he looked like he was having a fit with the amount of cheering and flipping he was doing. I pushed harder and then I did it! I finished the fifteen laps in under two minutes! Dad flew up into the air and flashed over and hugged me tighter then he had ever done. “YOU DID IT FIRE FLY!” He shouted with joy. The ref and judges jaws were dropped in disbelief at how fast the little cult was. My cousin Twilight and her Mom and Dad came down and congratulated me laughing and cheering for me. The rest of the day was a blur. I can't really remember much but it was one of the best days I ever had.

The next day we were off to Manehattan. Dad couldn't stop talking about how fast I was. It took a couple of hours to get to the track. When we got there I took a look at the track I would be racing on. It was EASILY two to three times the size of the Qualifiers track back in Canterlot. Dad walked me over to the starting line and gave me a pep-talk. This time Dad looked tired. “Da..Dad are you ok? You look tired.” Dad looked at me “ye..yeah sport I'm fine! Just do your best!” Dad flew over to the stands slower than normal. The Ref called out for all racers to get in their positions. This track you must complete thirty laps to complete the race! I looked over to the pony next to me. He was easily twice my size and a couple of years older. “HUH YOU MEAN I HAVTA RACE UP AGAINST YOU! A RUNT!? He said with clear hate in his voice. “HEY!” I said with a smug tune. “You're gunna eat my dust!” The ref raised the flag and then quickly through it to the ground. I jolted forward and flapped my wings like crazy! I flew forward at a flashing speed. The bigger pony keeping up with me like he wasn't even trying. He knocked me to the side and yelled. “HAH! SLOW POKE!”. At this point we had already out lapped the others by five laps. Zooming by the stands like crazy. One after the other we lapped the others. We are now at the home stretch the last lap. We both were tired and you could tell. He was ahead of me and he said the one thing I hated the most. “HEY! MY DAD SAYS THE PRINCESS FELT BAD FOR YOUR WORTHLESS OLD MAN AND GAVE HIM THE JOB OUTA PITY!” I couldn't take it. I closed my eyes and I screamed as loud as I could. “SHUT...UP...YOU..STUPID...FEATHER BRAIN!” I felt my flank get super hot. Like fire was coming off it. And then...it happened. A flash of light and the a loud boom. I looked back and flames were coming off me and sound waves were flying off my wings. I flew past him and went past the finish line and then flew up and did about a half a dozen loop de loops in the sky. And then landed with a roaring skid. Dad zoomed down and pounced on me. “SON LOOK!” He pointed at my flank. I looked at my flank and there was two parallel yellow Lightning bolts. “MY CUTIE MARK! I jumped up and down and cried out. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!” Dad looked so proud and he cried a little.

The next few days were crazy as I won one race after another. Final it was the last race. There were only fifteen of us left. It was a straight race from Canterlot to Ponyville this year. Like the other races I was WAY ahead of the others. I flew forward faster and faster. I sped across the sky and tore through it with pride. I thought to my self Man Dad keeps looking more and more tired as we got to each race. There I was at the final stretch I could see the stands from the air. I pushed harder and harder and I broke the sound barrier again. Zooming threw the finish line. “OH MY GOSH I WON!” There were cheers and yells coming from everywhere! I was crying and yelling. “DAD DAD! I DID IT!” I flew down and saw Dad. He was drenched in sweat. Shaking and his color left his mane. “I....aaam so papaproud ssosson.” Dad walked over slowly his breath was erratic. The Princess walked over and congratulated me. And then it happened. Dad fell over with a thud. I screamed. “DAD! DAD ARE YOU OK SPEAK TO ME!” Dad was rushed to Ponyville General. The doctors rushed him into the emergency room. They worked on him all night. I had fell asleep in the waiting room. When I woke up The doctor came out of the room and asked me to follow him. I did worried about Dad. He stopped me at the door and he knelt and said “Fire Fly it doesn’t look good. Your Father doesn’t have much time. He would like to see you.” I rushed into the room and to his bedside. Dad looked at me with a smile. “Hey sport congratulations on the Competition.” I put my hooves on his leg. “Th...thanks Dad. You're gong to be ok!” Dad shook his head. “No Son I'm going away. But I wanted to tell you before...” I interrupted him “DON'T SAY THAT DADDY!” I had not called him that since I was REALLY little. Dad put his hoof on my muzzle. Tears started to to fall off my face. “FIRE!” He yelled. Dad had never yelled at me before. I shut my mouth and looked up at him. “I wanted to tell you that I love you son. You will always be my....little....rac..er...” His hoof fell from my muzzle and the color from his eyes became dull. Just then I heard a scream from behind. It was Mom. “FLASH!” She Ran over and looked at him. The doctor closed his eyes and pronounced him dead. I started to cry and the Doctor turned to Mom. “He died from Seagreys Disease. One out of eight hundred ponies die from it. He must have contracted it before he left Canterlot and the movement and stress exacerbated the condition. It's a disease that forces the heart to Palpitate rapidly at random. The Palpitating will shock the system and make his body give off fever like symptoms.” The doctor left the room and allowed up to have time with him.

His body was moved back to Canterlot. He had a royal funeral and the Princess gave him special honors. We went home after and I looked up to my Mother. “Mom I want to go to the Wonder Bolts Academy in Dad honor...” She sat there and mumbled. “It's your fault...” I looked up and asked, “What?” She swung around her hoof and hit me in the muzzle with it and shouted. “IT'S YOUR FAULT! IF YOU HADN'T GONE TO THAT STUPID COMPETITION YOUR FATHER WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!” I fell to the floor and a little blood came out of my mouth. “GO TO YOUR ROOM!” I started to cry a bit on the floor. She got close to my face and screamed, “GO...TO...YOUR...ROOM...NOOOOW!” She picked me up and threw me into my room and I hit my bed. I was confused and didn't know or even understood what had just happened. I though “I'll just go to sleep and everything will be fine in the morning.” and went to sleep.

I woke up with my mouth hurting a bit. I walked into the kitchen and saw Mom cooking breakfast. I flew up to the table and asked “what was for breakfast?” She said nothing and walked over and slammed a bowl of oats down on the table. I looked down and started to eat. I looked back up and said. “I can't wait to got the Academy!” She swung around. “WHAT?” She asked loudly. “I just can't wait for the Wonder Bolts Academy...” She laughed and yelled “OH NO! YOU TOOK YOUR FATHER FROM ME! AND NOW I'M TAKING THAT FROM YOU!” I looked up to her and ask “WHAT?” I jumped up and stood right in front of her. “YOU CANT DO THAT I WORKED SO HARD!” She looked at me with a scary hate filled look. “SHUT UP!” And she hit me in the face as hard as she could with her hoof. I again fell to floor. This time some blood flew from my mouth. “YO WILL NEVER GO TO THAT PLACE!” She screamed I started to get mad and yelled “WHAT GIVES YOU THE RI...” She stopped me by kicking me in the chest. She leaned down in my face and yelled. “DON'T YOU EVER TALK BACK TO ME AGAIN!” She looked down to see the almost spray of blood on the floor that came out of my mouth. She looked back at me with anger in her eyes. “LOOK AT THE MESS YOU MADE!” She started to hit me more and more everywhere. And then picked me back up and threw me into my room. “CLEAN THIS UP BY THE TIME I GET BACK!” She stormed out of the house. I picked myself back up. Everything hurt. I went into the kitchen and cleaned up my blood from the floor...

It's been six mouths since Dad died. Mom got worse with hitting me. She took my room and stuffed me into the crawl space under the stairs. It had been storming REALLY bad and I hate storms. I heard loud noises out of the kitchen and a voice talking to..itself. I got up off the mound of hay Mom threw on the floor. And walked up to the crawl space door and put my ear up to the door. Just as I put my ear up to the door it vigilantly opened and Mom was standing there looking at me. “WHAT....are you doing Fire?” She said with a crazed look in her eyes. She had a large butcher knife floating around with her magic. “What's that for?” She looked down at me and shuttered her speech. “I'm going to fix you! I'm going to fix you like you fixed your father!” And she swung the knife at me and cut a chunk of my right ear off. I jolted back and ran under her legs. Blood flowing down my face. She jumped and tackled me and hit me in the face with her hoof. Blood again flown from my mouth to the floor. Mom looked over at the floor. “LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!” She screamed in my face. “NOW YOU NEED PUNISHED!” She started to slash at me cutting into my flesh. Some deep others shallow. It hurt...A LOT. I knocked the knife away with my hoof and she yelled “NEVER RAISE YOU HOOVES TO ME AGAIN!” She started to hit me over and over with her hooves. And then she threw me into the wall. She walked over to the counter and pulled out the scissors. And walk back over to me. “NOW! She yelled. NOW I WILL MAKE SURE YOU WILL NEVER FLY AWAY AGAIN!” She started to put one of my wings into the opened scissors I jerked around but she closed them down hard.... Indescribable pain shot down my wing blood spurted up the wall. It took off the main two tips and part of the lower and outer feathers. She threw me over to my other side and managed to get about the same amount off my other wing. More blood spurted up the wall. I knocked her in the face and staggered up and ran out of the front door.

I ran and ran and ran. I ran inter the woods near Canterlot. I ran deeply into the forest and then I found a small meadow. It was beautiful! The moon light shined threw the rain clouds. I sat down and started to cry and shiver in the pool of blood and rain water around me. I cried and cried and cried. But just as I started to roll up into a ball I heavenly voice grace my ears. “Oh my what do we have here?” I looked up and it was the Princess! She looked down at my blood and battered body. “What happened little one?” I just sat there silent..afraid... She knelt and said. “Who did this to you little one? You won't get in trouble.” I looked down and then whispered in her ear....”Mom did it... Mom did everything.” She looked at me with a shocked look and asked. “Are you sure?” I nodded and she picked me up and put me on her back. My blood staining her beautiful white fur. I felt her warmth and fell asleep she had taken me to the Canterlot Hospital.

She walked up to my door with two of her guards. She knocked on the door and Mom opened it having just cleaned up all the blood up. “OH Princess!” She said with surprise. The Princess walked in “I hope you don't mind me coming.” Mom shook her head “not at all.” The princess walked in and looked around. “Do you know where Fire Fly is?” Mom looked up and wiped up some fake tears. “Oh Princess I don't know where he is! He ran out after hurting himself he has been gone for hours!” The Princess looked at her with a disapproving look on her face. “Yet you are bone dry. You never looked for him?” Mom looked scared a bit. “We well I” She couldn't get a whole sentence out. The princess looked down and told her something I still feel good about even today. “I found him and I know what you did.... It sickens me.” Mom backed away. “No! He LIES! Look he's not all there, He really has the mind of a foal you know.” The Princess looked at the guards and they both apprehended her. “I banish you to the dungeons of the Castle for life never to be heard from again!” The princess flew out with Mom kicking a screaming as the guards took her away.

Later at the hospital the Princess and Twilight's parents were both talking to the doctor. “How is he?” The princess asked. The doctor looked over at an X-ray screen and levitated pointing utensil up to the screen. “It's not good. As you can see the most outer parts of his main wing bone was severed as well as the middle two. I'm afraid he will never fly the same again. As he gets older his wings will have more and more trouble carrying his weight. All of the lacerations will most likely scar badly. By the time he is fully grown I don't think he will be able to go much higher then lower base cloud level. Forty maybe fifty feet.” The princess looked down and shed a tear. As if her very heart had broken. She then knew what she had to do.

The next thing I remember is the Princess walking up at my bed side in the Hospital. “How are you feeling little on?” She asked with a smile on her face. “I feel ok. Where is Mom?” She looked down at me and put a hoof on my face. “She wont hurt you any more little one.” She looked at me knowing that my only family Twilight and her parents didn't have the ability to take care of me. “Little one would like to live with me?” I looked up in disbelief. “You mean it?” she smiled “Yes little one I want you to stay with me. I want to take care of you and in time I would like you to think of me as...” she paused for a moment. I started to cry and jumped up despite the pain and hugged her already stained fur. “THANK YOU!” I yell while crying. She held me there all night singing to me... I had a family again... one that loved me...