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// Introduction 
// Story: The Flame of Life 
// by Burst_Fire 
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	My name is Burst Fire, and this is my story.
If you’ve ever read a memoir before, you may notice that the author starts with an early memory, or some significant event from his or her life that he or she will then use as a basis for the rest of the book. I prefer writing stories over anything else. This particular memoir is of the story of my own life. I’ll treat it as such and write it as a story.
Beginning now.
Far off from any major land mass sits an island. Though small and insignificant as it may seem, it is home to a whole village. By “whole village” I literally mean just a small and simple community. There is absolutely nothing interesting about it. 
Well, there is a volcano…
Yes, this small community is placed near the foot of a volcano, an active volcano at that. Each month, the village appoints somepony to ascend the mountain and check if it’s going to blow anytime soon. Risky business, that is.
Where was I? ... Oh yes, an island far off from any major land mass populated by mostly a dense forest with an active volcano and a small village. There’s also a barren wasteland, but we’ll get to that desolate area later.
That brings us to the village’s residents. At this point in the story the only ponies who are of any importance are my parents. My mother is a unicorn with a dark navy blue coat and short, dark purple mane. My father is a strong pegasus with a bright orange coat and a vibrant yellow army-cut mane. He served as a paratrooper in some military group back in the day, long before I was born.
I owe this story to them, I suppose, for without them, I’d never have been born and, in turn, never would have been able to tell my story.
“My story”… This is my story, isn’t it? So why am I not talking about myself yet?
My name is Burst Fire, and I am a unicorn after my mother. My coat is of a blazing red-orange while my mane is brown, shaggy and messy, and with lighter brown streaks running through it. My eyes are emerald green, and they sometimes fail to conceal my emotion. I also wear glasses. As for my cutie mark, well, let’s just say, for now, that it’s one heck of a story.
I make many friends along the way, but some of the first, and best, friends I’ve ever had were and are May Field and Thunder Crack. Through thick and thin, they’ve always been there by my side as true companions. Our friendship is as strong as the tallest of red wood trees in the densest of forests. 
Thunder Crack, true to his name, is a yellow-orange Pegasus with a black mane. His cutie mark, also true to his name, is a thunder cloud with bolts of lightning jutting out from the bottom left and right. When he flies, his path is true and his strength is awesome.
May Field is an earth pony. Her coat is bright yellow and her mane is baby blue and soft pink, much like cotton candy. Her appearance may seem extreme, and she is in fact very extroverted, but, to the contrary, she is actually very humble. She’s the kind of mare that anypony could approach and feel welcome. Her piercing blue eyes always seem to looking straight into one’s being, but in a kind and caring way. Her cutie mark is of two golden rings hooked together. I always saw it as a symbol of the bonds she makes with everypony she meets. She is friends with whomever she meets.
Life on the island is simple, aside from the whole “living next to a volcano” business. As foals, we laugh and play with each other, and as we grow older more responsibilities take hold. Eventually, everypony does become part of the daily routine of the island.
Then there’s this boat… 
This boat comes and goes every month bringing supplies. The island doesn’t have much fertile soil so it’s hard to grow enough food on our own. The boat brings us what we can’t produce on our own. What had always eluded me was where it came from. It may have been just foal curiosity, but I just couldn’t help but wonder, “What’s out there?”