A Fire Paw Tale

I wake to the sound of my mother calling me down for morning chores. O how I hated my existence. I drag my 10-year-old bruised and broken body walking to the only mirror I own looking at the damage. I mutter darkly as I place a hoof to the new marks that adorn my already purple coat brushing my curly mane out of my eyes with my weak magic. Being born a unicorn in a family of earth ponies has made my life almost unbearable.

“Father really let me have it last night…,”

I clean myself off and walk down from the attic where my room was placed. As I make my way downstairs I see my brother Raven Claw just leaving his room. The oldest of my 6 siblings at 16 his coat is black as the starless sky with a grey mane and tail his hooves had white claw markings and his cutie mark a raven wings spread out and a dagger in its claws. He was always a ruthless fighter. I try to avoid his looks of lust and insanity but I can hear him call out as I rush down the stairs.

“So little sister, did you enjoy fathers special attention”

He licks his lips as he speaks and I run faster. I find mother in the kitchen and father sits at the table reading his paper. Father never looks up as he speaks to me.

“I expect you to do better today Fire Paw we wouldn’t want another punishment would we?”

I reply quietly, “no sir, what are my chores for the day?” Mother replies quickly.

“You are going to clean the dishes today, do the laundry and I expect this house spotless when we get home from the fields only then will I let you outside.”

I bow to her and start on the list. My father Onyx Coat will be taking my three brothers into the fields to harvest the food we and the town eat. Oak Heart is the 5th sibling at the age of 12. He has a tan coat with a deep brown mane and tail his cutie mark an oak tree with hearts in the leaves. Steel Hooves is the 3rd sibling at the age of 14. He has a grey coat with silver mane and tail with black highlights his cutie mark a single silver horseshoe. My father Onyx Coat, a strong solid black coat with deep red mane and tail his cutie mark an onyx jewel over two crossed picks. My mother Cinnamon Swirl, a tan earth pony with cream markings her cutie mark being three cinnamon cakes will be taking my three sisters into town to help the older ones find stallions and to let them buy material to make new outfits. Lily Grace is the 4th sibling at the age of 13. She has a pale yellow coat with a light purple mane and tale her cutie mark a ball of pink yarn stitching a lily flower. Willow Tears is the 2nd sibling at the age of 15. She has a light blue coat with teal mane and tail with blue highlights her cutie mark a willow tree with a water being poured on it. Finally, there is Meadow Breeze the 6th sibling at the age of 11 with a deep green coat with a light pink mane and tail her cutie mark two flowers with three song notes. I have yet to earn my cutie mark and I am reminded of that failure every day.

It was sunset by the time I finished and the family returned. Seeing that everything was done at instructed I got to go outside and play with my pet orthros. Mother and Father hated him so but he did good protecting the family farm from pest and thieves so I was allowed to keep him. I named the head that looked like a German Shepard Fang and the other head looking like a pit bull was called Razor. We went out the edge of the forest to play with the other animals. I could understand what the animals were saying and they could understand me. It was the only time I felt happy enough to smile. The wind would sing to me to make my trouble go away and it is how I learned to sing. As I played as laughed I noticed some ponies walking to our barn. When I went to look they were trying to steal our animals. Fang and Razor tried to get involved but they were unicorns like me but with better magic. I felt rage and heat boil inside me as I heard the animals crying out. My horn started to spark and smoke as I chased the thieves threw our fields. My family finally noticed the noise and had grabbed the family guns. We owned them for protection in this time of war. Finally, purple flames erupted from my horn burning the thieves only slightly enough for them to let the animals go. In a burst of bright light my cutie mark appeared a bright flame of red, yellow and orange with a single paw print in the center. I thought maybe now I could have my families love but I soon realized how very wrong I was. The flame I created I couldn’t control with how weak my magic was and they spread consuming the farm land.

By the rays of Celestia’s sun half the field was gone. I chose at that moment to try and flee knowing I would not see the following morning. Sadly, for me Raven knew I would run and took joy in chasing me and forcing me into a little cage. I was locked there for 3 days with little water and no food. Finally, I was let out and with a small bag of the few belonging I had was sent out of the home and out of the town. For risking the food of the other town ponies my family used it as the excuse to banish and disown me. With Fang and Razor by my side we went out of town and into the neighboring woods. It was expected that we walk to Canterlot to stay at an orphanage there. I knew it wasn’t going to be an orphanage but a place of pain. I stayed in the cover of the woods and found a nice clearing and a tree burrow to sleep in. As I grew older in those woods a lovely voice would call to me and teach me. She called herself Nature and soon she became my new mother. As I grew and hunted I knew I was entering the next time of my life. Little did I know the horrors that would be waiting for me.