Soul Saw Fire

"Mister, Mister"- A white unicorn foal with blue mane screamed as it ran towards a royal guard in Fillidelfia. The guard stayed with his stone face before he noticed that the foal was crying and there seemed to be leaves in its mane.

"Calm down kid everything's alright now just tell me what happened to you." The guard said as he hugged the foal before he lifted the foal on his back and took flight for the station.

"Y-you have to help me mister, mom and dad turned into these strange ponies and they wanted to get rid of my smaller older brother in the woods and..." The foal began to speak at speeds that would rival Pinkie when she was excited. Urgency clear in the foals voice.

"Calm down colt. I need you to tell me everything that's happened to you slowly and clearly so we can help you."- The guard said as they were in front of the guard station post. As soon as the guard landed 3 guards surrounded them but when they noticed the foal they made way for the guard to enter after he gave them a hoof signal to convey what was happening.

"O-okay I-it all s-started about 2 weeks ago..."- The foal began as a the guard carrying him entered a room where another guard stood with a quill and scroll. As the foal began to speak slower this time the guard with the quill began to write.

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"Why did you do it boy?"-My father Iron Axe screamed at me in rage. He was always a calm white pegasus pony that preferred to keep quiet unless he really had to speak. Which only made his shout that much more terrifying.

"Calm down Iron shouting at Soul won't help any and regardless its our fault for not signing him into school."-My mother Sod Dust shouted at my father as she stepped in between me and my father. She would always be kind and attempt to soften my father's anger whenever I managed to enrage him.

"No Dust you can't excuse him from this. Saw here used Magic to finish chopping his daily work. I told him a thousand times to never use magic and yet the boy doesn't listen. Don't blame it on the fact we didn't sign him up for school. Saw doesn't need it he is the son to woodcutters and will one day become a woodcutter and you are teaching him all the math and writing he will ever need."- My father was right to scold me this time. Using magic to chop down trees meant that they wouldn't grow back as fast as they would if you chop them by hoof. Of course I only did it this time because I feared we might not make an order, well and a fleeting hope that I would finally get my cutie mark but now really wasn't the time to tell my father that.

"Soul go gather some berries in the woods. You are still getting grounded for disobeying your parents mister  but for now I don't want you overhearing what I am going to say to your father."-My mother said trough gritted teeth. I knew that there was no room to argue despite the fact that I mostly did what I did in an attempt to help. As I ran into the woods that I knew like the back of my hooves I could hear my parents screaming t one another.

{So what if the tree will grow back 10 or 20 years slower. We live in a forest for Celestia's sake and we are never going to make the order in time by chopping trees by hoof axes. I guess that joking story my mother told me about my naming really was true. Saw Fire a name that combined my father's hopes that I would one day inherit the business and his fears that I would burn down the forest with my magic. And of course there was the accident he made writing my name down. He wrote Soul instead of Saw and so I became Soul Saw Fire once he was corrected by the doctor.

Why can't I go to school meet some foals my age, learn to use my magic, maybe get my cutie mark? I mean it might be hard getting at 2 o'clock every day just so I could reach school everyday and I might have to stay up to 12 at night to cut my daily trees but I can handle it} - Once I finished thinking of reasons why I wasn't wrong and I should go to school I started heading for home. Mom and Dad never fought for long and I still had trees to cut. Although I would stick to hoof axes despite the fact that I was right. I carried a lot of berries with me all hoof picked but carried by magic.

"I' am sorry for what I did and I promise not to do it again. Now lets chop some trees. Daylights wasting and I already got enough berries for dinner for all of us."- I said as I went to the site where we were chopping trees after leaving the berries home.

"You might make a decent woodcutter yet Saw. Just don't ever use magic again. You know that only bad things can come of mixing magic and nature."- That was the closest I had ever gotten to receiving a compliment from my father. Of course he did receive a shove in the ribs from mom for what he said about magic.

"Don't listen to your father Soul I am sure that you will one day find a use for your magic. Just don't use it on the trees you know that none of us understands exactly how a unicorns magic works and how worried your father is about fire."-Mom said chuckling as dad grumbled.

"Since I already learned my lesson, can I go without punishment?"- I asked with all the foolishness I had. Of course I received my answer by both my parents stopping their work and staring at me.

"Nice try Soul but you are still grounded. As punishment for disobeying work ethics and your parents you will not be coming to town this week around. You can use the time to catch up on your writing homework and of course you will be chopping your daily quota of trees. By hoof mister."- Yes my mother Sod Dust she would always save me from my fathers fury but somehow I always ended up being grounded in a much worse a way.

"B-but you can't. Dad please back me up. Going to town is the only interesting thing all year around please don't take it away from me. I know I can start cutting down 10 trees a day like you instead of the 5 I cut now."- I pleaded but my parents weren't having any of it. They merely turned back and continued their work silently. Well as silent as cutting a tree into logs and planks can be.

"You are grounded son so just take your punishment like a stallion and if you can in deed keep your boast of cutting and chopping 10 trees a day by hoof we can all take a day off and go to town at a later date." Dad the fair but stern stallion said in between swinging his hoof axe.

"You can't be serious Ir.."-My mother the evil said but I managed to interrupt her.

"Deal and don't worry dad I know I can do it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."- I said establishing an agreement between me and my parents. They might have grounded me for nothing but they would always keep their word.

"Uh.. If my foal injures himself or gets sick due to exhaustion I am blaming you."- Mom said as she looked at dad who seemed to become smaller then her despite being twice her size when they were both standing up straight.

"Mom I' am not a foal anymore I' am a stallion."- I shouted trying to take the anger from the kind pony that was my father.

"Of course you are sweetie." My mom said still staring daggers at dad before she turned to her own tree and continued chopping. It took me and dad a while but we slowly began working again. Dinner would likely be quiet tonight.

"Now don't forget to do your homework and your chores. Oh and don't wander off too far away from the house while the forest is tame for the most part there are still wild animals living inside. And if you run into any animals just keep in mind that they are probably more afraid then you and don't show weakness."- My mother said for the 100th time as she and dad were leaving dragging 5 carts filled over the brim with firewood. 3 pulled by my father and 2 by my mother.

Usually they both pulled 3 but the order for planks a few days earlier had left us with insufficient time to chop enough firewood for another cart. Despite having to work at night for a few days my parents had managed to meet the dead line of the order. My mother seemed to be driven by her frustration at the deal I had made with dad but she didn't bring up the topic again and both me and dad weren't foolish enough to bring it up.

"He will be alright dear. We should really get going now or else we might have to spend 3 days instead of the planned 2. Come one the faster we leave the faster we can come home."- Dad said as he pulled with all his strength grunting slightly. My mom seemed to be hesitating for a second before she seemed to agree and began pushing.

{So what should I do? I guess I should do my chores but that probably wouldn't last me more then a few hours and mom and dad won't be back for at least 2 days. Maybe I could take up carving. Yeah I will cut out a wooden foal and he will be my brother. I bet he would probably know why I can't go to school to make friends. Yeah he will also probably know why I was grounded when all I did was try to help? I didn't even start a fire or anything. Yeah he will be a great older brother.}- As I thought about how great my new brother will be once I carve him out I got to doing my homework and chores taking the extra time to cut the wood for 2 days as it gave me a good practice if I was to keep my promise with dad.

Cutting up a tree was easy if it didn't have to be a plank with precise measures. However it was getting dark by the time I was finishing and I thought it would be better if I carved out my brother in the morning. I don't want him to be anything less then perfect.

On the second day I began to carve my brother but in spite of me choosing a nice dry tree that was easy to carve I just couldn't get the curves just right. After roughly 6 hours it was nearly lunch and I was tired. Both from the fact that I had skipped out on breakfast for this and because I had slowly carved what was supposed to be my big brother so much that now he was small enough that he could comfortably hide in my mane. It was around this time I realized either encouraged by hunger or exhaustion that I had finally gotten the form right.

My new big brother was either a stoic stallion like dad or a really shy one. Judging by how much smaller he was from me despite being the big brother I thought he was most likely shy. After lunch I chopped up some more trees. My brother only stood there for moral support but that was mostly my fault as there was no way he could hold an axe with the body I made for him.

Mom and dad didn't come back that day or the day after but I wasn't scared at all. I had my big brother with me after all and even thou he didn't speak I was more then happy just having somepony there to listen. It was how most of my conversations with dad went anyways.

After the third day I began worrying and concentrated on cutting wood to keep myself distracted by the 6th day I considered going to town but the thought of mom getting angry for  disobeying my grounding kept me home. It was a good thing too because dad and mom came home that night all tired and disoriented. They would have probably missed the path home if I hadn't seen them. They were really startled by me for some reason.

"Mom, dad I missed you so much. I won't ever use my magic again so don't leave me like that again. I did my homework and I even chopped up 70 trees so please don't leave me again."-I shouted as I hugged them. They were quiet but embraced me in a hug.

{Love us.}- My big brother said from within my mane. Strange how he started to speak only when mom and dad came back. It was a bit funny how he used old equestrian and I smiled before I responded to him.

"But of course I love you we are family aren't we?"-I said as I looked up to my mane. This seemed to surprise mom and dad but after that we went home and ate. Mom and dad didn't have much of an appetite and when I asked if they brought me something from town I got sent to bed.

I was almost asleep when I remembered that I never told dad or mom about my new brother. I mean they had heard him speak earlier but they probably just thought he was a friend or my little brother and my brother wouldn't speak up for himself so I had to. I began to get up when my brother spoke again.

{Stay put and be quiet.}-I really wanted to tell mom and dad about him but I didn't want to disappoint my big brother especially since he was finally getting over his shyness and was actually speaking. So I stood still and thought about how happy mom and dad would be when I told them tomorrow. Unfortunately that's when it happened.

"What the buck are you doing?" I overheard dad's voice ask mom. I didn't mean to it was just it was so loud. I don't really know what buck means but dad was really angry possibly even more then when I used magic to cut down trees.

"It's not my fault. Switch with me."- I heard a strange voice say.

"No way I don't want to. Now stop messing around we got lucky with that weather accident but this foal is strange it gives me weird vibes. If we are not careful we might have to get rid of him and go elsewhere."- Dad answered. It was at this moment that I did something foolish. I got up and opened my rooms door with my magic forgetting I wasn't supposed to use it and the fact that my brother told me to stay quiet.

"He isn't strange or weird that foal is my big brother." I shouted at dad who was staring dumfounded at me then I noticed a strange black pony. It had holes in its hooves and seemed to be a unicorn judging by the horn on its head. The strange pony seemed to burn up in some strange green fire before it was replaced by mom.

{Calm down.}-My brother said in a demanding voice but I was too afraid of what I had seen and heard to do as he asked.

"No, I won't calm down. They want to get rid of you. I won't let them. I can cut down more then enough trees for the both of us." I screamed as I ran past dad and mom who were being consumed in that strange green fire I saw them both turn into those scary ponies. They hissed and swiped at me but I managed to evade them.

{Go back. Its not safe. You can't go in the woods when its dark.} My brother shouted at me for a bit as we ran away from home. Well I ran he mostly hid in my mane. Can't really blame him thou the black ponies were scary. I ran trough the night but I managed to finally get to town.

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"So you'll help me turn those black ponies into mom and dad right? I know it must be those ponies fault dad thought my little big brother was weird. So please you have to help me..." Soul Saw Fire began to sound more frantic now that he had finished telling the story of his predicament. Which was a feat in itself since during the entire time when he said what he had done he had kept a rather fast pace nearly throwing the pony which was writing his statement off a couple of times.

"For now you need to rest. I promise you that we will get those changelings for what they have done." The guards pony that had brought in Soul said in a cold voice as he stared into Soul's eyes.

"B-but what about mom and dad and the scary ponies?"- Soul asked but the only response he got was a sad look as the white pegasus that had brought him in turned to the unicorn pony that had just finished up writing and said something hesitantly.

"Scribe a light knock out spell."-The unicorn pony looked in confusion for a second before it looked at Soul and its horn lit up.

"Understood captain." Was all Soul heard before he fell asleep nearly hitting his head on the table. Fortunately the unicorn had expected this and lifted the foal in his magic. A small wooden figure fell from the foals blue mane to the floor.

"Ah and this must be the brother. Make sure its not lost the poor thing probably already lost a father and a mother the shock of loosing his brother might drive him insane." The captain pony said as he picked up the small wooden pony. It was truly small but the detail was amazing. He almost felt like the pony might actually come alive and jump from his hoof.

"What should I do about the foal captain?" The scribe asked shaking the captain from his fascination with the small wooden pony.

"Oh... um take him to the hospital he seemed okay but that was most likely adrenaline talking, oh and make sure that he is restrained and guarded."- The captain said as he placed the wooden figure gently into Soul's mane .

"I understand guarded given the circumstance sir but why restrained?"- The scribe asked with a bit of meekness. He knew that the captain didn't enjoy being second guessed.

"Because scribe this foal has had no magic training judging from his own story and close to no interaction with ponies or any place beyond the woods. Now given this knowledge even a spark head like you should understand that the moment he awakens if he is not in his home in the woods he would likely freak out and try to escape. And we don't want a unicorn foal with no magic control and a last name Fire running around town jumping in fright at anything and everything now do we scribe."- The captain yelled at the foolish unicorn as he got ever so closer.

"Y-yes sir,I mean n-no sir we don't. I will get right on it sir." The frightened unicorn said as he saluted and exited the room before the captain could even take another breath. Foal levitated right in front of him.

"I swear every year the recruits get dumber and dumber at this rate I am going to have to put on their uniforms for them before I am left to retire." The captain said to himself in the quiet room before he called on for more ponies and had them use Soul's statement to find out who his parents were and where exactly did they live.