Book of Phoenix Ashes

I was so young, but old, so new, yet so aged. My foster mother, Lethe May, a griffoness living in the griffon kingdom. I grew up with her, I was fed meat, no matter liking it or not, but she never knew what pony ate, up to this time, Pony and Griffon never got along. I entered the world thinking I was a griffon, to be wrong, bullied, beaten, and chased down, for being, "Not normal, weird, and different." I found comfort only in the Everfree forest, it called to me, all the time, and I always answered.  I’d spend hours alone, in the forest, to the point where others took notice and asked me valiantly with their curious minds, "What is in there" I couldn't answer fast, I lacked the creativity, I remember some light blue flowers, they smelt welcoming but seemed to warred me away with a strange feeling in my gut, my eyes widened, I began to explain to y tormentors "There, are many things, but one weird thing I do know is of the Poison Joke."

They looked at me curious as I continued to explain, lightly referencing the tormentors in the flower "If you touch it, it will make a joke happen to you."

They believed me, for a short time while living as a griffon, till age 5, my foster mother told me, what a truly was, I was a simple feathered pony with wings, that she being a widowed mother, took me into her wings, desperate to mother, she told me to go to the pony kingdom, where I would be welcomed, "But mother, must I go alone" I promptly asked her "No...No child of mine will ever be left in the cold," she retorted.

I went off with my Fostering mother, close, I saw, the kingdom, so large, rich, bright, full of my kind, I felt welcome in this unknown territory.

I knew how to fly, I was brave, bold....but shunned, unwelcome, to be returned to being the "weirdo, feathered freak show." I was kicked around, beaten for 5 long years, hiding in my only true home, the ever free forest, and its calls loud and unwavering. I walked through them every day, until I saw a light glint in the shadowy forest, I being still curious, wandered over. It was an egg, I didn't know what kind but it was a big reddish yellow egg that glowed, I picked it up and tucked it under my wing, running out of the forest, to meet my foster mother. "Blaze, what have I told you about the forest" I know immediately her expected answer and I repeat in conjecture with her, "Bad things live there" but I questioned the thought I my head of the egg, she noticed it tucked warmly under my large wing, "Blaze what are you concealing un-neeth your wing?"

I showed her the egg knowing better than to disobey, she looked at the egg with complete surprise. "If bad things live there, what’s this doing in a bad place?"

I questioned her to hear a prompt reply, "You are responsible for it now, it time you learned how to care for others and yourself."

To this day I still know exactly what she meant, but little did I know my responsibility. Months passed, I painstakingly cared the egg warmly, to hatching, of a small weak bird, who in 3 mote months grew to a foot, but while my bird still newly into this world, nameless, I consulted my foster mother, "Mother?" I asked "what shalt I name her?"

My foster mother not questioning my gut feelings on the birds gender "Whatever you wish, she is your little one, your responsibility."

a week passed, feeding the nameless bird, whom I found enjoyed fresh meat, I hunted regularly for the bird to soon learn of what it was, as she grew her feathers, bright colors of red, yellow and orange. I walked down the main street as a Library came to my view, I entered it to hear the greeting of a ding from the bell that hung over the door and the curious/surprised look of the librarian, "Why what a rare sight!"

At first thinking she was taking about me and my feathered coat, I promptly asking, "By what do you mean?" to hear her answer "Your in Possession of a Sun Phoenix, Female by the looks, have you given her a name?”

I shook my head and she replayed, "Well a bird like that needs a fair name, doesn't it?"

I nodded and with her reply and throwing of a bronze piece at my hooves that hit the wood floors with a nice ring, like a bell, "You can find anything in the library!"

I looked through the books, My nameless companion to my shoulder, I looked for books on Sun Phoenix, to account for nothing, So I left the library opening the door hearing the bell ring, and with a sudden stop, I looked over at the little Phoenix and whispered "Bella?", to hear a soft coo in reply, "You like that name don't you Bella?"

she cooed more, nuzzling into my feathers. The librarian smiled satisfied "See, knew you'd come up with something."

After a month of continual feeding, and teaching of preening and flying and hunting, she was ready to leave to a life of her own, I held her out stretched on a hoof and said "Go, your free, go"

The foot all bird refused, "Bella......your making this hard, go, live your life"

Bella stayed and my perseverance left, "Fine you win," Bella giving a satisfied coo, Nuzzled into my neck, and to the displeasure of my foster mother, Bella was a permanent friend, but I didn't mind. I headed off to schooling with my companion intent on staying close, perched on a wing, she drew curiosity, from school foals, my enemy's, They grew curious of my month long absence, questioned me, harshly, and jabbing me with usual insults, I was alone with my only friend, a sun Phoenix, and pelted with insults that hurt like stones, a sane and can take only so much before letting loose. I was being chased, to the Everfree, out of the forest and to a peninsula, with large mountains in the ocean background, by a steep cliff.

I was pelted with insult after insult, I felt my skin begin to burn, and heard the silence of the tormentors and flapping of wings as belly perched into a tree, I was light on fire, I floated up into the air, out of my control, ant the Mountain exploded, out in the ocean, it was 3 volcano, their explosive crack was deafening to my ears, and the heat so intense, the shock wave so strong, ash filled the air, and my tormentors choked, in the ashes and died where they stood, I fell to the ground, in shock of the dead, I watched the volcanoes erupt, and I cautiously walked home. The living pony stared at me as if I were a ghost, and they bowed, chanting "Forgive us Profit"

over and over, the royalty came down to greet, bowing and gifting a crown and saying aloud to all, "The phoenix has risen."

and the pony's gather bowing, saying in a cumulative call, "All hail Phoenixblaze, God of nature, prince of gods!"

, with Bella on my shoulder, I drop the crown, "No..." I say, "Don't bow to a pony that kills, Bow to a pony that is always there to lend kindness, I am none of such!"

The king stood, as did the others

"You bear the mark of the son of the great mother nature you have proven to be the foretold profit of earth, bare your crown with honor and dignity!"

but speaking as if not in control of my words, "Only a tyrant bears a crown, after killing and slaying to be Prince or king, You bare a crown only after you earn it!"

I walk out, with the crown in hoof, glancing at the Phoenix cutie mark on my flank, the next day, the royal family was killed, and more pony died from ash inhalation, disease, and other horrid things.....I couldn't help but feel as if the cause, but being as I had the ability to raise this egg, my foster mothers voice rang out into my ears, "This is your responsibility!"

I forever vowed to never rule as a tyrant, to be normal.