I was about eighteen at the time, still living in the Frozen North with my parents, still a blank-flank, and still had the bravery of a newborn foal. Ye'd probably like the insight that the Frozen North's forests are 100 times more dangerous than the Everfree. Also, the weather and creatures are even more unpredictable than a rich mare from Trottingham. (Sheesh, one minute she says she'd like to share a drink with me the next she's blaming me for her pregnancy! And I swear lad, I'd never do that to a mare)
My parents, brother and I where out hunting and foraging. Anyhow we where about to leave for home when a freak snowstorm hit. A MASSIVE ONE. Lad, ye take the pure glory of a bearded Celestia, and match that glory with absolute chaos, that's how bad the storm was. So ye can guess what comes next, right? I get separated from my family, and run northwest, while our home was east of that forest.
But wait lads, it gets better... As I was running, screaming for my parents, going in just about the completely wrong direction from home, I ran into a horrid creature. Easily a hundred times more dangerous than anything in the Everfree (Excluding an Ursa Major) an ice bear.
Before Princess Celestia intervened, these bears where hunted nearly non-stop by because of their wondrous coats, white with a faint yet brilliant magic about them that resembles an aurora. These creatures eventually began travelling in packs (Usually 2-4, at max 6) to protect themselves. However, after the relative peacefulness and normality returned to their lives, the Nightmare War started. Nightmare Moon saw the potential in these strong creatures as killing machines, and corrupted them. Turning them from protective, noble creatures into viscous, bloodthirsty monsters, their coats turned black and their eyes red. The only way to cleanse them of their curse was to put them out of their endless torment... I was running away from 3 of them.
I, little ol' panicking Bronzy, couldn't help but look behind myself to see how much distance I put between them, and ran straight into a rock, knocked out cold. But then, in my unconscious state, someone visited me, the very one who was cleansed of the nightmare just one day ago, Princess Luna. "My little pony..." Her mane was flowing and twinkling with a striking resemblance to the night sky "Do not speak little one, we haven't the time nor the energy to do this." She spoke, her voice drenched in sorrow "It is our fault that you must face these nightmare creatures, so we will try our best to give you the power to end their suffering.. We shall imbue you with the very power of the night... Whatever thy suffer from this incident, we shall suffer tenfold in return." I stared straight into her eyes, fearing what comes next "But young one, you must find the courage within thyself to wield this power, to end the nightmare within those majestic creatures, to put them out of their misery..." At that last word she began fading out.. But lad, I swear I heard her say one last thing, "Be careful" 'twas so light, so muffled, quieter than the quietest of whispers. But those quiet words started an inferno in my heart.
I rose to my legs, drawing my trusted wood ax alongside my dagger. I opened my eyes and charged forward, toward dark mass that stood in front of me. He charged at me as well, and lunged right as he was close. I barely managed to sidestep to it's right, but after I did I slashed at it's leg with my ax, effectively crippling it, I jumped onto its back after that and brought my dagger down straight into the creature's thick neck repetitively, eventually the bear stopped struggling, and as I was about to claim victory there was a startling discovery behind me... The other two I had forgot about. One stood about twice as tall as the one I had killed, and mate he was pissed. The large one lunged straight for me and nearly took my bloody head off! (That's how I got this scar over my left eye, and that's also why my eye is glowing like an aurora) After that 'Life flashed before my eyes' moment the second, smaller one charged for me, I had barely enough time to react yet again, but I managed to mostly dodge his attack. Just got a little scratch on my right side, (Unfortunately no cool aurora-scar there, though) and as he backed away I took my dagger and threw it. Now mate, when I say that's one hell of a throw I mean it, that bloody knife went right into the creatures eye! After that I knew I had an advantage over the bear, and used his partial blindness to flank him, and finish the poor sod off. When I quickly turned around to see what the big one was doing, I nearly lost that inferno in my heart. That bloody thing had nearly doubled in size, it seemed to be drawing energy from the very air around it! I looked that bear straight in the eyes, and I saw torment, such torment that cannot be described with words, lad. I knew that I could run away from him at that point, ice bears weren't all that fast after all, and the giant one would have trouble going through the trees. But I didn't, at that moment I swore to myself that I was going to put this tormented creature out of his misery, no matter the cost. I could feel my magic grip on my dagger tighten, and put my ax into my mouth. I charged forward with a pure rage, not towards the bear, but towards the nightmare. The very thing that caused the night princess to lose control.
"FOR LUNA!!!" I shouted, and charged dodging one swipe, two swipe, a massive bite that easily could have taken my bloody head off! I then jumped back, my magic grip on my dagger tightened even more, I poured all my magic into that thing, and charged. Now, to put this in prospective, my dagger was nothing more than a toothpick compared to the size of that bloody creature, but I had a plan. I stabbed the nightmare right in the chest, and the nightmare almost seemed to laugh at such a pitiful attack... But then the real assault began, I charged the off-guard bear with a flurry of swipes from my ax, not even letting him get up as my coat was drenched with a blue blood that sizzled in contact with me. I was in such a fury, such a stage of pure madness, that I barely saw him fall before me.
I fell to a knee next to him, and looked him in the dulling red eyes. "I'm sorry, majestic creature... I wish there was some other way." I caught my breath, raised to my legs for one final strike, gripped my ax in my hoofs as if I was going to chop wood, and said "Rest in piece my friend."
"And that's how I got my cutie mark!"
Author's Note
To restate what I said in the description, this is my first story, so be gentle.
Also, in case you where wondering, Bronze is telling the story in a tavern with his mates.
And one last thing, if you'd like to see Bronze's adventures but don't want to follow me, I'll edit the links into the end of this story so you'll get the update notification (If you favorite this)
