Chapter 1 - A Heated Start
Author's Note
Just an idea I had for a story. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!
Chapter 1 - A Heated Start
~~~~~~~Ten Years After The Defeat of Nightmare Moon~~~~~~~
Pyre Flare was a pegasus filly who lived in a house just outside of VanHoover. She had a light orange coat and a yellow mane. Her mane was accented with a red-orange tint, giving it the appearance of a fire. Pyre Flare had turned ten years old last month and was expecting a cutie mark for turning ten years old, unfortunately she found herself disappointed and remained a blank flank. A month later she walked home by herself, sulking as she did so.
“Stupid Ruby Crown and Bronze Fork, why can’t they just leave me alone,” Pyre Flare mumbled to herself as she neared her house. She had just finished another day of school but had not managed to escape the bullying that always came with it. A solemn frown was plastered on her face as she opened the door to the home. As she entered the house, a head belonging to a yellow stallion poked out from around a doorway and smiled with joy as he saw her.
“Hey honey, how was your day at school?” the stallion asked as he emerged fully from the room. He was a unicorn of average build with a yellow coat and red hair. His cutie mark was the explosion of a firework.
“Terrible! Ruby Crown and Bronze Fork made fun of me for being a blank flank again! Why can’t I get my cutie mark daddy!?” Pyre Flare whined.
The unicorn stallion smiled and shook his head, “Pyre, you can’t let what those fillies say bother you. Your cutie mark will come when it’s time and not a moment sooner. The same was with those fillies. There is no point in rushing what can’t be rushed,” the stallion said.
Pyre Flare opened her mouth to respond but before she could, another voice come from further in the house.
“Pyre Flare! Pyro Tech! I made cookies! Come and get them while they’re hot!” shouted a female voice.
The filly and her father locked eyes, daring the other to make a move. After a few moments they sprinted in sync to the kitchen. Side by side they ran through the hallways until they reached the kitchen. Pyro Tech was in lead by a hoof but tripped and fell down just before he made it to the cookies, allowing him to be trampled by his daughter. The mare that had called them earlier was now standing before them. She was a white pegasus with blond hair and a cloud with a sun behind it as a cutie mark. She looked between her husband who is on the floor and her filly that is happily munching on a plate of cookies on the table.
“Pyre Flare, stop being mean to your daddy. You know he isn’t as strong as you,” the mare teased as she looked at her husband.
“Cloudy Skies, why do you betray me so!” Pyro Tech said in mock drama, putting his hoof over his forehead as he did so.
“Oh stop being a baby and eat the cookies,” Cloudy Skies said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. The unicorn compiled and quickly got up to join his daughter.
“Yeah daddy, stop being a baby!” Pyre Flare said with her mouth full of cookies. Pyro Tech kissed his daughter on her head and partook in the delicious treats as his wife watched with a smile.
~~~~~~~Several Minutes Later~~~~~~~
Pyre Flare and her father lied on the ground on their backs with their bulging stomachs facing the ceiling.
“I think we ate too much sweety,” Pyro Tech grumbled as he held his stomach. Pyre groaned in agreement.
“I think I will just take it as a compliment that you all love my baking,” Cloudy Skies said with a giggle as she washed the dishes the two had just used. “But Pyre Flare. . . do you have homework young lady?”
Pyre Flare looked to her dad for help but he had already jumped to his wife side so as to not be swayed by his daughter’s begging stare. Pyre settled with glaring at her father as she responded, “Yes mom, just some math today. I did all of my reading in class.”
“Alright, why don’t you go to your room and do that while your father and I talk,” Cloudy Skies suggested.
“Ok mommy!” shouted Pyre Flare as she ran off to her room.
Cloudy Skies watched her daughter run out and then turned to her husband. “How are you doing honey? I know it must be hard,” she asked.
Pyro Tech sighed, “I’m a bit down right now but I’ll manage. At least she wasn’t in any pain. I’m gonna miss her. . .”
“At least now she’s in a better place,” Cloudy Skies consoled.
“She left something, for Pyre,” Pyro Tech said as he pulled out a box.
“What is it?” the pegasus mare asked.
“It’s her necklace,” replied her husband as he opened the box to reveal a gold necklace with a ruby pendant placed on it.
“Oh my Celestia,” Cloudy Skies gasped “That was her most precious possession.”
“I know, and she wanted Pyre Flare to have it,” Pyro Tech added. “But she’s just a filly and she’s bound to lose it. I say we tell her about it now and hold onto it until she’s older and more responsible.”
“I think that’s the best we can do for now,” Cloudy Skies sighed “Poor little filly, I can’t bear the thought of her knowing her grandmother died.”
“Let’s wait a bit to do that. We’ll take one step at a time and start with this necklace. We can tell her about her grandmother another day,” the unicorn decided. They both began to walk to their daughter’s room to show her the necklace.
~~~~~~~Meanwhile~~~~~~~
“I hate math,” pouted Pyre Flare.
She had been staring at her homework for a while now. She managed to do the first few problems without much effort but they slowly began to increase in difficulty and now she couldn’t figure out how to do it.
“Half of five times two? How is that even possible?! It’s probably some crazy number like five JILLION,” the filly shouted in anger. She turned away from the paper in disgust and focused on her lamp’s flame. She was always intrigued by fire, ever since she could remember. The way the light came off the open flame and how it could be so destructive yet bring heat to ponies when they are cold amazed her. She stared deeply into the flame, losing track of time as she did so. Pyre Flare was finally shaken from her trance when she heard her door begin to open, revealing her parents.
“Hey mommy, hey daddy. What are you doing in here?” asked Pyre Flare.
“We have something for you sweetheart. Grandma wanted to give you something of hers,” said Pyro Tech as he pulled out the box from earlier.
“Grandma has something for me? What is it?”
Pyro Tech opened the box, revealing what was inside. Pyre Flare’s eyes and mouth widened in awe. “This is for me?” she asked.
“Yep. But not until you’re older. I don’t want you to lose it so we will wait until you’re more responsible,” answered Pyro Tech.
Pyre Flare whimpered in response but she quickly returned to her previous demeanor. “What about just for today? Can I wear it around the house for just today? Please please please please please?”
“Um. . .,” Pyro Tech looked to his wife for conformation, to which he got a shrug and a nod. “Well I don’t see why not,” he said with a smile.
The filly squealed and quickly took the necklace to try in on. She had difficulty at first but with the help of her father she managed to get it on properly.
“We’re going to let you finish up your homework now while we make dinner,” said Cloudy Skies, grabbing the attention of Pyre Flare, “We’ll call you when it’s ready. How does that sound?”
“Sounds great mommy!” said Pyre Flare as she admired her new accessory in the mirror. Her gaze however, was eventually drawn back to her lamp and the flame inside. Pyre Flare had never burned herself before, but had heard it was extremely painful. She wondered how such a small thing could inflict such pain. After a moment she very slowly moved her hoof to the lamps door. She felt the warmth coming from the tiny flame inside. Even slower than before, she pulled back the door of the lamp. This time, with her eyes closed, she put her hand inside the lamp.
Pyre Flare was waiting for a painful sensation to pull back from but felt none. She only felt the same warmth as before. She peeked one eye open and witnessed her hoof directly above the source of the flame, the fire licked at her fur. With a confused look she began to pull back her hoof, only to realize the flame was still on it.
Panic spread through her body as she tried to shake the flame off her hoof. However, all her efforts were in vain as it only seemed to spread and cover the entire base of her hoof. During her panic Pyre Flare knocked over the lamp, breaking it and spreading fire over the floor. She set her hoof down to run and get help but that only seemed to worsen the problem as the fire on her body ignited everything it touched.
“Oh no!” yelled Pyre Flare as the fire engulfed the desk that held her homework. Within moments the room became completely covered in flames, none of which were felt by Pyre Flare. She ran for the door in her room and burst outside into the hallway. She sprinted down the corridor to the kitchen.
“Mommy! Daddy! There’s a fire in my ro-” Pyre Flare spoke, only to realize her parents were not in the kitchen. She turned back to the hallway that contained their room, the hallway she just came from, the hallway that was on fire.
“MOMMY!” screamed Pyre Flare at the top of her lungs. A few moments later her parent’s door burst open.
“Pyre Flare! What’s w-Gah!” shouted Pyro Tech, yelping as he noticed the fire with both his eyes and his hooves. Pyro’s pathway was blocked by flames and he noted that the window to his room was much too small to climb out of.
“Daddy be careful!” said Pyre Flare desperately.
“I’ll be fine sweetheart. Just get out of the house! I’ll be outside in one second I promise,” responded Pyro Tech confidently.
“O-ok daddy. Please get mommy and get out safe,” Pyre Flare didn’t hear any response from her father as she ran to the door. The fire on her hoof had gone away and she made it outside without spreading more flames. Unfortunately the damage was already done. Most of the house was covered in flames, smoke billowing into the air.
Pyre Flare sat anxiously outside, watching for any signs of her father. She waited for him to burst out a window, door, or even wall, with Cloudy Skies by his side.
A minute.
She Waited.
Ten Minutes.
She Waited.
Twenty Minutes.
She Waited.
The town ponies had already been tending to the fire by now, trying to smother and kill the flames. Their efforts were futile though, as they could not keep up with the spreading inferno. In the end, they were forced to sit and watch as the building burned. The townsfolk mumbled to each other and spared glances at Pyre Flare but she paid them no mind as she was just waiting for her parents to emerge. She didn’t notice night fall. She didn’t notice the guard pick her up and take her away. And she didn’t notice the new image that adorned her flank; a draconic eye staring downwards in front of a red flame.
