“There’s one there!”
“Drive them out! Drive them out!”
I woke to the sound of rushing water in my ears. It was from the river a few meters away, but I’d never heard it sound like that. It sounded so close, and I could smell the water in the air. Then other sounds joined it.
“What are you doing?!”
“You’re no longer welcome here, kirin. Leave!”
They were shouting at us. I got up to see what happened and nearly slipped on my wet floor. My entire home was soggy, and my hooves squelched in the saturated carpet.
I looked outside, and found Armageddon and chaos right by my window. There was fire and water rushing everywhere. Kirin were running, chased by fuzhu. How did this happen?! We’d been getting along so well. Most of my youth had been spent in the fuzhu village where we made our home.
“Holly!”
I heard the commanding call of Hail Fire, my mother and leader of the kirin here.
“Holly Hearth! Get out of there!”
My legs moved before I could think. If mother was screaming in that tone, I was in danger. I splashed through the kitchen and burst through the front door. It was seconds before a large wave swept my home away forever.
I nearly hit the ground and rolled but I regained my balance and senses as my mother grabbed me. She was wet and cold. There was a panicked look in her eye and chaos all around.
The fuzhu were deer that controlled the waters. They set the river to flood or trickle. It was something we were always warned of. The fuzhu were gentle creatures, but known to take offense easily. Things had been peaceful between the groups for years, but obviously something had gone wrong.
“Holly! Are you alright?!”
“I’m just wet,” I said, shaking my hooves out. “What happened?! Why are they attacking us?”
My mother’s face dropped as a dark look passed over it. I felt the chill in the air as the wind blew my damp fur but it was nothing compared to the cold inside as she made that face.
“Your father… lost his temper again. He’s gone.” She shuddered, as the confusion set in me.
“Gone? Where?”
“Oh Holly… they …they had to stop him. He was burning so much and so hot.” A small tear leaked out of her eye.
“They killed him?!” I could barely conceive it. Kirin caught fire when angry, but they didn’t need death to calm down. They needed time, and a safe place.
“They got scared and angry themselves and well… you can see what has happened as a result. We can’t stay and mourn him here. We have to get the herd out of here.”
The kirin district was in soggy ruins. Flames were bursting out as the herd tried to defend their homes, water quenched them rather quickly. The deer ran surefooted and lethal between the small huts, easily demolishing them.
“They killed poppa! We should—“
“No!” My mother’s voice was sheer and cut through all discussion. “We must flee. We need to find a new place to live.”
The mighty kirin turned to the rest of the herd and shouted in her leader voice. “My herd! Hear me! Flee to the hills! Run for your lives!”
The burning balls in the distance went out and the sounds of many hooves running filled the air. The water flowed after them but didn’t over take them.
“We’re just going to run—“ I couldn’t finish my sentence as I was knocked over by a large wave. Water filled my mouth and I couldn’t tell what was up or down. It was a void of black and vegetable matter. My little hooves tried desperately to swim in any direction, but it was quickly becoming fruitless.
A hoof picked me out of the water and sweet air filled my lungs once more. As did small trickles of water and silt. I coughed.
The world twisted around me until it stopped on the massive face of an angry deer. Its eyes were wild and fierce. The four horns on its head looked menacingly sharp. A low growl cut through the air.
“You must leave, little foal, now!” It snarled at me.
“Release her!” My mother’s voice and flame lit up the sky.
“Hail Fire, this is your foal?” It growled. I wanted to tell him how unafraid I was. Tell him how fearless an adversary I could be. But none of that was true.
“Give her to me! Now!”
“I’m not a monster, Lady Hail Fire, I was saving her.” The gruff voice made it hard to tell how true his words were. “Hopefully she will learn the lesson here, so your herd does not repeat its failure.”
“Can nothing be done to repair the damage?” My mother sounded much softer as her magic brought me over to her. I was dripping and shivering in the air.
“I will not have a city divided. It would take a lot to regain our trust. It is not worth the risk.” The deer slowly turned and walked back the way he came. “They’re leaving! Hold back the waters again!”
The soaked kirin herd ran. My mother never put me down so I hovered next to her as we jumped over bramble and stream. The woods we ran through gave way to a grass covered hill. At the top we finally stopped and my hooves found ground again.
A large kirin form rounded up the embankment and looked at the worn out runners. “Is that it? Are we all here?”
It was my uncle Snow Blaze. He was in charge of our safety, or so he told everykirin. Mostly he sat on his porch looking at the groups and overhearing conversations. He was also a bit of a gossip or “information gatherer” as he called it.
“I think this is all that remain, Snow,” My mother became a thousand years older in an instant. Her coat was thick and damp, and her eyes stared a million miles away.
“What do we do now?” Snow asked the question on everykirin’s lips. “We've been run out of so many villages… I've lost count.”
“Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow we will figure it out.” She slowly sank on to the ground as if the weight of our woes had finally crushed her.
“Hey, Wind Torch,” Uncle Snow bellowed. “Bring all the young kirin to the center, we need to dry everykirin off. Any kirin that can’t get angry sit in the middle
My mother stood up slowly, forcing the world back to its rightful place. I followed. I might not have been that big, but I could rage as well as any kirin.
We gathered around the elderly who no longer had the energy for it, and foals that didn’t even know what anger was yet. I thought of the pain these Fuzhu caused. My father may have made a mistake, but he didn’t need to pay for it with his life.
The flames filled my vision. Only heartless deer could be so shortsighted and uncompassionate. They did nothing to calm him down. Nothing! If his rage was that fierce they should have left him be. Not to kill in fear, such cowards!
“Holly!” My mother’s shout cut through the chain of thoughts I built my fire on.
The ground around me was charred and the others had backed away. The center ring was dry and then some. I looked around at the concerned faces.
“It’s ok, my daughter, you may be angry. Just find a better place.” The matriarch pointed to an empty grove of rocks. I looked back and tears started to form.
“Or you could come give me a hug…” she opened her forehooves for me and I relented. In the bitter night we released the pain of loss.
The morning was not great to the herd. Village life had led many to become soft, and I was no exception. I was born in the Fuzhu village, unlike many of my older kin. It was all I knew. The only home I ever had.
Snow Drift talked about the burning times. The time before I was born was filled with hatred from many creatures. They hated our fire. They attacked the kirin village in anger and fear, assuming our fire selves would run amuck among them, or simply conquer them.
The herd that remained moved south and took refuge in any village that would hold them. Many creatures were less than hospitable, and the few that were found themselves with more fires than ours to put out.
The Fuzhu had made the most sense—water deer seemed like a natural companion to unicorns that caught fire. They could defend themselves from us, and put us out if needed. But they weren’t supposed to drown us!
The cold wind ran down my body, tickling my back. Sleeping outside was painful. Creatures moved in the dark, moisture collected on my face, and the wind was ever present. Leaves danced into my floof and stuck there, poking my face.
It was a bitter morning and my fur was still damp. The knowledge of my father’s absence was starting to sink in, and the tears threatened again. I wiped them away. I didn’t think others would do well to see their leader’s only daughter lose heart.
“Morning, Holly Hearth,” Uncle Snow said with a nod. “It’s ok to cry. He was an honorable kirin.”
“He still lost control though… it made things harder for us all.” I said with a thick throat.
“You can’t always hold in, Holly. When you do finally let it out that way, it becomes a towering inferno. Also, you lose a lot of yourself trying to fight your own emotions. No, sometimes you need to let it out.” Snow looked into the distance.
“So where are we going, Uncle?”
“Who knows?” The old kirin sat, looking into the distance at some unseen memory. “It feels like we have been to so many places. I don’t think we can rely on the good will of others any longer. It’s time to establish our own village.”
“Why don’t we have one already?”
“Same as last night, the neighbors were scared of our fire and attacked. They drove us from our home. Each village we came to eventually did the same. I don’t know if there is a place for us, this side of the mountains.” The mighty kirin looked down. The ancient sadness he carried spoke of happy times where they were accepted, long since lost.
“What about the other side?” I stood, looking at the mountains in the distance. They were huge menacing pillars of white. They were the dominant landmark in the valley and I had looked at them my whole life.
“Equestria? Ha! That place is a myth, filled with happy unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies happily working together. Such a thing doesn’t happen amongst different tribes. It’s a dream.” Uncle Snow shook his head sadly. “Besides, the mountains are treacherous and cold. They have no love for anything, except Fu dogs. Most that wander up there are never seen again.”
“And the ones that are?”
“Aren’t right in the head.” Uncle Snow swirled his large hoof by his head in a circle.
“What choice do we have, Snow?” My mother’s voice joined the conversation. “Where can we live if this valley no longer permits us?”
“Haily, listen, those mountains are no joke. Not even mother or father would dare climb them.” Fear shook the mighty kirin’s voice. It was the first time I felt my uncle falter.
“Holly is right,” my mother replied. “It is time we entered Equestria. We can build a new home there, and if the legends are true, the ponies of Equestria are the most hospitable creatures in the land.” She looked over the entire herd as they shook out their coats and limbs. Many groaned, a few cried, others sprang up confused by their new surroundings.
“And what of the cold? We have thick coats, but the winds cut through them like a hot blade does cheese.” Snow was uneasy.
“You said it yourself. Sometimes you have to let the rage out.” My mother burst into an inferno that caused most to back away from the intense heat. “We can use our curse as an advantage. The fires of our past can be used to protect our future.”
“Th-think about what you’re saying. You want us to be angry the entire journey?!” Snow nearly shouted. “What about when we sleep?”
“Then we shall sleep in shifts. Those that slumber will be warmed by the rage of those that aren’t.” It was the first time I had heard my mother sound so stern. She was normally a soft spoken gentle leader. But she had a strange look on her face as she stood filled with flame and hate.
“But the foals! They aren’t fit to climb mountains, nor can they rage that long.”
“They will learn. If these foalish creatures can not accept us, then we shall show them the power our kirin have, by doing what they cannot.” The leader strode towards the rest of the herd. “The foals will be warmed by the many kirin next to them.”
“I… I don’t know if this is a good idea. What about the legends? If a kirin burns too long they become consumed by hatred. They become—“
“The Nirik are just a legend. We can rest in between burns. We’ll check on each other to make sure we don’t descend into madness.” The other kirin were gathering around her now. They began releasing their rage in proud displays of flame and ash. I released my flame as well. The pure frustration of not being accepted and rage that my father was taken from me. It all came out in a bright orange tower.
Uncle Snow’s shoulders sagged. The herd had spoken and gathered around my mother, hate burning brighter than the cold wind. He could join or try on his own. With a final sigh, he released a flame that rivaled my mother’s. There was a deep tinge of blue in it.
“My herd! It is time we left these lands! If they don’t want us here, so be it! We shall show them the very thing that they feared is powerful to us. We shall go to Equestria and find a new home amongst the pony races.” My mother’s flame shot into the sky like a spire. All around would see it, and know that we were kirin, and proud.
The herd shouted in agreement. With our course determined, we started our march towards the massive mountains in the distance.
Massive stores of food were collected on the way to the towering range. Everykirin did their part to collect what could be preserved and eaten on the trek. Hay, berries, edible plants, all the things we needed for the journey ahead.
Food was surprisingly easy to find. The land was beginning its harvest season, and most creatures we passed disappeared from our view. No creature stood in our way—the news of the Fuzhu village must have spread like fire itself. Or perhaps they learned of our plan to depart, and opened a path for us so we could leave.
Whatever the reason, we closed in on the mighty mountains with no resistance or interaction. The massive peaks became harder and harder to see through the clouds as we neared the base.
Before long the roots of the mountains were before us like a massive tomb. Boulders the size of huts stuck out of the jagged crags. I had no idea how we were getting up there. High above the broken base were frost covered peaks and more broken rocks. They seemed impassable.
“Lady Hail Fire,” a dark blue kirin next to us bowed. “We have scouted the base of the mountain as far as we needed, there is something you should see.”
My mother nodded and we followed the scouts lead. It led to a rough looking staircase carved from the large granite. Creatures had tried what we were about to do, but long, long ago from the look of them.
“It is a sign,” mother said to her herd. “The way has been opened to us. The way to Equestria and our new home!”
The kirin cheered. There was a brief shuffle to arrange themselves in proper order to begin the climb, but they took to the steps with gusto. Foals and elderly were kept close to the larger kirin. The ones known for their high tempers were given the smallest foals to look after. I stuck close to my mother. I wasn’t so young to need protecting, but still young enough to be a target.
The journey up was treacherous. The rock steps were uneven and not cared for. Many of them were broken, narrow, or missing entirely. The herd passed the smaller members across the large chasms while the wind tried to throw us off the edge.
I was in mid-leap when a sheer gust stopped my momentum completely. I frantically reached with my forehooves to the next step but it wasn’t there. Nothing was below to catch me but bare rock. I had a millisecond to look into my mother’s wide eyes before she ascended away from me.
My body spun in free fall, everything I reached for rushed by me so fast. I could barely focus as the air forced me to close my eyes. Then all became a deep blue. It was the color of the sky, or maybe it was the sky. I was suddenly heading in that direction. Was I so confused I couldn’t tell which way I was falling?
It was a magical orb made by my uncle. I heard his voice shouting as he strained to lift me back up. It echoed thousands of times below. A pair of hooves grabbed me as I got close and my mother’s face was full of terror and tears.
“That was too close, Holly. Too- too close.” She held me harder than ever and slid to her barrel.
“Lady Hail Fire,” the blue kirin returned again. “We found a massive cave not far ahead. Perhaps we should camp there.”
“Yes, that seems like a good idea,” she said, her voice muffled into my back. “This has been a very trying day. By the looks ahead we will be having to use our flame tomorrow. Thank you, Spring Shine.”
We followed the scout to a large cave, naturally made by two rocks leaning together. The wind screamed at us outside as we entered, its prey lost. The floor was littered with leaves and dry sticks, perfect kindling to get a fire going. A quick flash of anger was all it took for my mother to start a large fire.
The herd gathered around, handing out food and drinks they’d gathered the day prior. Despite their early enthusiasm, they all looked miserable and exhausted. Sleep came suddenly, and with a vengeance. Soon the cave answered the wind's fury with the loud snoring of many kirin.
A small shift in rocks at the front of the cave woke me up. My eyes couldn’t focus in the almost pitch black of the cave, but the dull grey landscape outside I could see. There was a shadow outside, skulking around the entrance. Slowly I rose to my hooves, my body screaming sharp pains. The climb set my limbs on fire and nearly caused me to burst into real flames, but I held back and slowly made my way to the exit.
A small rock shot out from under my hoof from an awkward step. It careened out ,striking the cold dripping walls. The shadow grew into a shape I didn’t know, then ran from my sight. It wasn’t a kirin. It was…something else.
I charged forward, not thinking about the danger a little foal like me could be in if it wasn’t friendly. All I found was a small pile of rocks with a note inside.
“Turn back.”
“Do you think it’s a warning or a threat, my lady?” Uncle Snow asked as the herd rose.
“It doesn’t matter. We have no place to turn back to. Our only way is forward.” My mother stood at the center of a group of nodding kirin.
“It’s not too late if we want to rethink this,” Snow Blaze’s voice was small. He knew this was not what any kirin wanted to hear.
“No, brother! We will proceed. If this is a warning then we can overcome it. If it is a threat, then we shall show them we are not cattle that can just be herded off.” There was a grim tone to my mother’s voice. I had never heard it so fierce. Flames licked off of her blackening coat. I was a little nervous.
The herd rallied behind her, their fire adding to hers. Shouts of defiance filled the dark cave. It pressed us out into the cold wind once more. The steps were nothing to a herd as strong as us.
Hours passed but the mountain wouldn’t relent. It decreased the temperature, added more rocks and less hoof holds. It dropped alongside us in a dizzying display of height. The clouds had reached us and all was grey. Our coats became thick with dew and the wind blew it close to our skin. Still we marched on.
Eventually the steps stopped, and the climb up was behind us. A worn hoof path wound its way through the jagged valley of sharpened shale. Long spikes struck out in dangerous angles compared to the trail but there was no other way through. We pressed on.
The rock formations looked like a mad artist had crafted the feeling of torture on the landscape. Each point a spear ready to impale those that weren’t careful. A forest of rock-made spikes.
We moved cautiously, but still every so often a kirin would yelp. Normally it was just a prick or poke from bending the wrong way. Orchard Pyre caught his ear on a sharpened turn and we couldn’t get close enough to help. He laughed it off, saying he wanted a piercing anyway.
The frigid wind howled and numbed any pain or soreness in our body. As the valley of spires thinned to a wider road, the snow began. Long wind drifts and gray dusting harkened the end of our simple walk.
“Should we stop here before we begin our rage?” Uncle Snow asked, looking at the tired kirin. “It would be better for everykirin to have full strength to burn.”
“Where would you suggest we make camp?” My mother’s mouth was a tight, thin line. Everywhere the herd looked was filled with uncomfortable crags and sharpened ridges.
“I see your point… maybe just some food then?”
Mother nodded and we ate. There was the sense that this was going to be the last meal we would have for a while. No kirin knew how long we would have to rage for, nor how exhausting something like this would be. It had never been done. We never used our fire deliberately for anything other than a heated battle, and those didn’t even last hours, let alone the days that we might need here.
“We shall push through the snow as long as our bodies can take it then rest in what shelter we can find.” My mother looked at the drifting sheets of frozen dust, she didn’t look back at us at all. “I shall lead. It was my choice, if danger bares down upon us then I shall be first to face it.”
“Haily, you have a daughter to think about. Let me go first,” Uncle Snow placed another ball of rice into his mouth.
“No. I will lead. You stick close to Holly.”
“I can lead with you, mother,” I said softly. “ I can face the cold with you, and give you my fire when you get too cold.”
“I ..” she shook her head then her eyes softened. “I would like that. Having you close will help me keep in control.”
I stood next to her, proudly. Any danger would come to us and us first. We were the head of the herd.
Mother’s soft face was replaced with a blacked one of hatred and wrath. Her blue eyes disappeared into orbs of glowing white heat and her beautiful, soft coat hardened to jet black scales. Her long mane disappeared and a stream of flame cascaded off her head, ten feet high and burning like magnesium.
I thought about the pain she was in and I found that pain in me. The laughing face of my father flashed before my eyes. The image of him being snuffed out by uncaring deer filled my mind and soon the world faded away. Only black and white remained, and I felt the water run beneath my hooves as the snow melted.
The Torch March had begun. It was what we called it later. Other names were used as well: Burning Path of Freedom or Hate Trek were common.
From the forwardmost position I saw the white landscape littered with its black rocks. Large grey curls of steam rose into the air as we trudged forward, the past and path obscuring behind us.
I couldn’t see all the kirin behind us, they were lost in the steam, but I could feel the unity we had. Our wills to conquer would endure. The mountain wouldn’t beat us, nor would any creature. They would burn and melt away as easily as the snow.
An hour or so in, some of the kirin had trouble keeping themselves lit, but my mother never faltered. Shouting insults and prompts to garner hatred rekindled their flames. The elderly and foals were in the center, keeping warm by anger’s flame. They wept looking at us as we stomped through the pass.
The first burn lasted only a half a day. I noticed a crevice large enough to fit us all and dry enough to provide release from our water soaked hooves. Firewood was lit and two large fires built to keep us warm as we slept.
I often wondered how many provisions a creature could have taken from us that first night. The exhaustion of raging for so long caused the entire herd to slumber like the dead. Luckily, nothing lived up there, so nothing found us in our rest.
Morning dawned… perhaps. It was so dark on the top of the mountains that there was little difference between night and day. The storm winds always blew and the snow fell like ash on the land. I looked outside and was immediately struck in the face by fresh snow from the wind.
“We must eat then continue,” my mother said in a sore voice. She had spent most of the day “encouraging” others to be angry.
The herd groaned but complied. We lined up in the same arrangement as before. My mother and I took the lead, our flames evaporating the snowflakes long before they touched the ground.
It was a long trudge that day through the black and white spotted landscape. Each turn felt the same, each rock looked the same. We were marching in the same direction as before but the blandness of the scene made it feel like walking with the same backdrop no matter the direction. The light never changed. It was a dreary, cold sludge out with the mountain fighting the herd as much as it could.
The day blurred into the next as the trudging of flaming ponies marched through the tundratic rock-laden wilderness. The burning continued, and it was becoming easier and easier to maintain. Some were able to stay angry enough to sleep on fire. Fights started to break out here and there, but Snow kept everyone in line.
By the third day kirin had become very rigid in their movement. Maybe it was from the soreness, or from the way Snow had them regimented. The bright burning line continued unabated by the wind and snow. We were close. I could feel the mighty mountain finally relent and slope downwards.
Mother stopped and I stopped just in front of her. Her ears turned this way and that and she sniffed the air. She looked to the right of the path and waited, staring unflinchingly at one spot.
The dark shapes I thought were rocks began to move. They stopped being round forms and took on a more hunched quality. Soon our tribe was surrounded by whatever they were.
I didn’t feel threatened at all. They stood in our way and how dare they try to stop us. We were going to Equestria! The mountain couldn’t break us, and this pitiful group couldn’t withstand our combined fires. No creature could. We could burn forever if we wanted to.
“Fire demons!” cried the shape my mother started at. Its voice sounded like grating rocks. “We are the guardians of this pass. No creature can come into Equestria unless we deem them worthy.”
“We’re not demons!” I shouted before my mother could speak. How dare these creatures pass judgment on us. We didn’t do anything wrong. “We’re good enough to go anywhere we please!”
“Not demons? You’re on fire and smell of hate. Even your foals are arrogant enough to demand entry. The ponies of Equestria are about friendship and solving problems. We make sure they stay that way. Demons such as yourselves are unable to see any other way but might and pain.” The creature stepped closer, staring me down. It was made of rock itself, and its eyes glowed like the burning heart of the mountain.
“You, you… meanie!” It just called me arrogant and stupid. It was trying to block us from paradise. We suffered too much and lost too many. I ran at the guardian, my fire burned blue and the air sizzled. I was in mid pounce when a hoof stepped in front of me.
“Holly! What are you doing?! We don’t just attack!” The voice was filled with anger and malice. It didn’t sound like any mother I heard before.
“Haily,” my uncle’s voice was the sound of rain striking a rooftop. The kind of calm noise that puts all at peace, despite the world in chaos around you. “We need to stop. The fire is too much. It’s changing us.”
We turned on him, and found a meek looking white kirin next to us. He was out and shivering. The guardian looked at him, puzzled. “A kirin? I have heard of them. Have these demons caught you?”
My head whirled with indignation but this wasn’t the time for malice. The creatures hadn’t seen our normal form. I breathed, and tried to calm my body. The herd had similar difficulty. But one by one the fires went out, leaving sad, freezing ponies standing in the snow.
“You’re all kirin. I see. Who is the herd’s leader? I would talk with them.” With my eyes cleared of anger I could see the mighty form of granite lion standing in front of us.
“I am,” my mother said, finally releasing her flame. Her darkened body retreated to its calm green color. Her bright blue mane curled back from its blazing form. “I, Hail Fire of the Jade Dragon tribe, am the leader of this herd.”
“Very well, Lady Hail Fire of the Jade Dragon tribe. I will eat with you and hear your story. It will determine if you should enter Equestria.” The two leaders walked to a nearby cave and the herd was ushered into a much larger one. There, more guardians talked to us.
It was so much warmer than outside, but I saw no fires and no source of heat. A small lion bounded next to me. “Oh, it's you!” she said. She sat down and licked her fore paw.
“Do-do I know you?” It was hard to think clearly, my body shook from the fire’s wake and it felt like my mind was in a fog.
“No. But I saw you a few nights ago. You were in a cave near the great steps.” She giggled. “Your mane was sticking out all over the place. You looked so tired and thin, I was worried you weren’t going to make it. So I left a note telling you to turn back. I didn’t want to see your herd get hurt.”
“You did that? We thought it was a threat!”
“A threat? No. We Fu Dogs don’t threaten creatures, we defend others against harm. That’s why I warned you.” She cocked her head and looked at the rest of the herd. “But you’re all here, I guess I was wrong. You’re a lot stronger than I thought.”
“Yeah, but I don’t feel it right now…I feel really tired and weak.” The fire had left and in its wake was a cascade of guilt and remorse. I thought about all the mean thoughts I had in my head the last few days. It wasn’t how I used to think. If we had entered Equestria like that, there would have been no peaceful, understanding place. We might have burned it to the ground in our rage.
“But you are. You were tough enough to get here. It’s not just because of your fire you know. You have a strong will too.” The fu dog poked me in the chest, where my heart was. “I’m sure Long Fang will let you pass. He lets those with good hearts in. Even if you might be a little grumpy sometimes, you’re still good ponies.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I wanted to ask her so many questions but my eyes were closing on their own. “What’s your name?”
“I’m May Fun! And you?”
“Holly, Holly Hearth.” It was the last thing I said before the darkness of exhaustion took me.
“Don’t worry Holly, I’ll look after you while you sleep. I’m a guardian, ya know.”
Darkness took me. It didn’t matter what became of us. It didn’t matter that we had no place to go. I drifted in a sea of nothing. All the weight of the days of marching bore down on me and I sunk into a dreamless sleep.
“Holly! Holly! Wake up, Long Fang has reached a decision!” Paws shook me and my head jolted back and forth. I nearly burst into flames in confusion.
“What’s happening?!” My voice wavered from the vibration.
“I just told you! Long Fang has decided your herd’s fate!” May Fun giggled as I hastily wiped the sleep from my eyes. I followed my kin as they lined up for the fu dog’s speech.
“Kirin of the Jade Dragon tribe, I come before you with a decision.” The large lion didn’t shout but spoke with such authority that the silence made it seem like he was.
“Unfortunately, due to your dual nature I can’t fully allow you access to Equestria.” Flames burst from half of the kirin there. Voices rose so loud that my head shook—or was it the cave? The lion held up a paw, and silence slowly descended. “However, your non-demon side is exactly the type of creature that would benefit from Equestria. So therefore, I have decided to leave it up to the rulers. I have contacted Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and they can make a determination.”
“That is very fair, Noble Lord,” my mother said with a sad expression. “When should we expect them? I want my herd to get rest and be presentable.”
“Soon. They can fly so they should be here within the hour.” Long Fang strode out of the cave as if he couldn’t be bothered with the situation anymore. Or something else was more important than us.
“Well it’s not a no,” grinned May uncertainly.
“What happens if it was a no?” I asked, my mind finally freeing itself from sleep fog.
May made a sad face. “We have to take you back down the mountain.”
“And if we don't want to go back?”
“The mountain trusts us. It helps us with the scarier creatures. Sometimes it’s nice about it. You’ll just find yourselves at the base, other times it bounces you back down the path. And those poking rocks, well it’s not good. But I don’t think that’ll happen. I hope.” May smiled wider and looked around shiftily.
“I feel so much better now.” I grumped. All the days of anger had made me feel kind of down. Or maybe it was just exhaustion.
“Hey, cheer up! Princess Celestia and Luna are really nice ponies. They’ll understand.” A comforting paw gave me a weak smile.
The snow swirled unnaturally outside, accompanied by a swooshing sound. The fu dogs moved back from the entrance as two large horses landed. They were elegant, with large graceful wings and regal horns on their heads. Or perhaps they only felt regal because of their crowns.
The large alabaster one strode confidently into the cave while the smaller dark blue one shuffled behind her. I stood in awe of the power these two horses had, and wondered how their manes flowed like that.
The large one looked around at us, her expression blank. My mother was first to speak. “Princess Celestia, I presume.” She bowed low.
“Ahh and you must be Lady Hail Fire. Long Fang told me your story in his letter. Your tribe has definitely suffered a lot. As for your angry nature, I heard you arrived on fire.” Celestia said flatly.
“I was most amazed with your abilities!” the little princess said. “It soundith ‘awesome’.”
“Indeed we did, Your Majesties. We had to keep warm somehow. But it’s not something we intend to use in Equestria.” My mother’s words brought murmurs of agreement.
“Still, it is concerning. My little ponies might not understand, and fear you. Therefore, I recommend we tell them that the different forms are two different species. That way they won’t fear your fire form, and they’ll give you more of a chance. If they find you on fire they’ll think it’s a different creature and hopefully flee.” The matriarch nodded to herself in satisfaction.
“Actually I agree with that. If they don’t know it’s us in the fire form they won’t drive us from our home.” My mother said with a slight ease to her.
“Now we need a name for your fire selves, any suggestions?”
“The legends say that if a kirin gets trapped by a cycle of hate and anger, they lose all reason and become a nirik.” Snow said, puffing his floof out proudly.
“Nirik sounds reasonable. I can recommend villages that will make you feel welcome if you like.” The pony princess brought out a map showing the whole of her kingdom.
“With all due respect,” my mother began as carefully as she could. “We would prefer a village of our own. It’s been a long time since we had one, and I think the herd would feel better if we weren’t beholden to any creature.”
“I understand. How far do you want to be from my ponies? You could place your village close to Canterlot. It’s the royal city, and could give you access to all you would need.” Celestia pointed to the large mountain on the map with a castle on top of it.
“I think we would feel better more secluded. Maybe here.” My mother pointed to a small valley surrounded by mountains. It was the furthest thing away from all the major towns.
“The Peaks of Refuge. A fitting place.”
“Perhaps to keep your tribes from discovering our dual selves we could change the name to keep us safe. Like Dangerous Valley, or Mount Doom?” My mother was not a very creative kirin.
“Peaks of Peril?” I recommended as the idea popped into my head. I always liked alliteration, like my name.
“Ahh, a nice suggestion, young foal. I will allow your tribe to make residence there in the Peaks of Peril. We shall give you as much privacy as you need, but should you change your mind and want to join pony society, I’ll make a road not too far from there so you can visit at your leisure.” The pony rolled the map up and stuffed it in a saddle bag. The little princess took it back out and started meticulously folding it with her magic.
“You are as generous as the legends say, Princess,” my mother bowed again.
“May you have peace, and if you fall into trouble I shall send ponies to help.” The matriarch and her sister took off to the air and disappeared into the snow filled clouds.
The kirin talked excitedly about the village and how they could keep it safe from irate ponies. The idea of freedom filled their hearts and it was impossible to remove the smile from their faces.
“This turned out much better than I hoped!” My mother said with a hug and lilt of laughter.
“There is only one problem,” I said sadly.
“Oh?”
“We’re so happy, how are we going to rage the rest of the way?” The idea of being angry was the furthest thing from my mind right now. I doubted I could produce a single coal.
“You’re right,” my mother said with a sigh. “ I should find out how long it is down the mountain. Perhaps we could move quickly.”
“We might have some coats,” May Fun said with a wide smile. “If you’re part of Equestria now, then you’re under our protection. And part of that is making sure you don’t freeze to death. Maybe next time you should dress a little warmer, or at least wear mittens.”
The herd was outfitted with cloaks and mittens by the fu dogs and escorted down the mountain side. The way down was much less treacherous and spirits were high. It seemed like a distant dream coming true. The idea of raging never crossed my mind. Even my mother, whom I had always known to be stoic, smiled and laughed with her kin.
The talk turned to construction and village layout, but I wasn’t interested in that sort of thing. I walked next to May Fun and we giggled and talked like young mares do. At the base of the mountain we said our thanks and goodbyes.
“Hey, dad, can I at least go with Holly to the peaks? I want to make sure they're safe.” May bounced around me and felt so much younger than I used to feel. Unlike the other kirin foals my age, I had to keep myself in check as the leader’s daughter.
“You may escort to their peaks if you like, May,” Long Fang answered.
“You’re the daughter of a herd leader too?!” I asked in awe. She acted so carefree and informal. She wasn’t worried about her behavior looking bad for her family at all.
“Yeah! That’s why I was so excited to meet you. We’re like royalty, princesses even!” She bounds around me then paused and walked as formally and stiffly as I normally did.
“Princesses?! I don’t think so. We were kind of looked down on in my last village.” I remembered the pain of my father and nearly burned through the coat I was given.
“Relax, relax! Here’s an idea. We’re in a big field, let’s just run. If you get too pent up, just run around. It helps me.” She barreled ahead and I followed. It was nice to just run. I felt the wind in my mane, the grass under my hooves, it was the first time I felt free.
We did it. We were in Equestria! The land of peace and friendship. I had made a new friend just getting in and now I was running. I could feel the magic in this place, it was everywhere. The kirin were now a part of it, not something to be tolerated and pitied but an actual part. Tears of joy took off into the wind, and May was there smiling.
