Fear Her

Spirit, Blue, and Cookie trotted down the path.

"What's the one place that Snow would be?" Spirit thought aloud.

"Wait, what about home?" Blue said.

"Alright.  Lets check there." Spirit said, having the strange feeling in her head that she wasn't ready for what she was about to face.

***

The couple gently picked up the basket sitting by their door, peeking in.  A white foal with a golden mane sat in it.  They stared in shock, as to who would leave such a valuable foal behind.  Suddenly, the foal's horn glowed and blasted the two, disintegrating both.  The basket dropped, tumbling away.  The foal cried out in the alleyway.

A hooded figure picked up the foal, whom had yellow glowing eyes.  Tirek.

***

Spirit slowly opened the door to their old abandoned home.  It's been empty for years.  Right in the center of the room sat a scroll on a table.  Cookie picked it up and read it aloud.

"Check the roof."

"That was sudden." Blue shrugged, all three running up to the roof.  They reached the top, to find Spirit and Blue's father.  He stood on the edge of the building, to where Golden Snow held a knife to his throat and stared at them.

"Snow, you don't have to do this." Spirit said, holding her hooves out defensively and taking a step forward.

"Yes, I do!  He left me to rot in that alleyway!" Snow yelled out, inching the knife closer to their father.

"He still loved you.  And you know that." Blue stated.  Her horn was prepared for the worst.

"He never did!" Snow replied.

"Yes, he did.  Our family was in poverty.  You were too valuable to afford." Spirit said, taking another step.

"Why not you? Or perhaps the daughter of Luna herself?"

"I don't know.  You just killed your own mother, and now your father?  You can't force yourself to live like this.  With this...this guilt!"

Snow blinked.

This time her father talked. "Leave them alone.  It was not their choice to give you away."

"Dad.." Spirit said.

"No.  It was my fault.  But you are still my daughter, Snow.  I love all of you."  He glanced at the three.

Snow lowered the knife slowly.  "You show great courage, Spirit."

They let out a breath of relief.

"Sad how it wasn't from your father."  Snow slammed the knife into their father's chest suddenly, knocking him off.

The world seemed to slow down and revolve around Spirit Berry, as everything exploded at once.

***

"You cannot hesitate.  Again!" Tirek shouted at Snow, who was fighting one of his minions with two katanas.

"I'm doing my best!"

"Clearly that's not your best.  Again!"

The minion knocked her down onto the mat.

"When do I get to the guns?" She asked.

"Patience.  Your training is making you stronger, but you need more reflex training.  Again!"