I heard my name on the voice over. I stood, jaw dropped, not sure if I heard them correctly. When my senses had returned to me, I found the judge beside, hoofing me a first place ribbon. A smile quickly grew across my face.
- - -
A camera flashed. Everyone was cheering for me. I had a huge smile on my face. My friends and parents stood beside me in the picture. I wore my first place blue ribbon. I felt so proud as my dad ruffled my mane.
Mom looked at me with a smile.
"Script!" my mom exclaimed. "Look, your cutie mark!"
I turned to my flank, with a spark in my eye. There was my cutie mark. It was a book and quill. I jumped in the air with joy. This was the best day of my life. I was so happy. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
All my friends gave me a hug.
"Congratulations, Script!" Applejack uttered.
- - -
I skipped along with my parents, we had to walk through a forest to get to our house. Suddenly, there was a thunderclap that made me jump in fright. My mom brought me close to her, quickly calming me down with her presence. As we continued walking. The rain started to fall faster. Not wanting to get soaked, we hurried through the forest.
A lightning bolt hit a nearby tree, causing it to catch fire. I panicked as a tree fell, falling in between me and my parents. Thankfully, we jumped out of the way in time.
"Mom!" I yelled, trying to find a way around the tree.
"Meet us on the other side! We'll find you!" my mom yelled back.
I ran, trying to find a way out of the forest. The flames were growing larger around me. I could hardly breathe, prompting me to pull the collar of my sweater over my muzzle, trying to breathe better. A tree fell right in front of me, almost hitting me. I jumped backwards, trying to get away from the burning timber. I tried to turn around to go back the way I came, but the flames were too large. I had no choice but to jump. I shut my eyes tight, and jumped over the tree.
The flames caught my sweater. I rolled hard onto the ground, causing any flames that had attached to my sweater to die. I grunted in pain as I tried to stand. I looked over myself, to find that I was pretty burned up. My legs were sore and had burn marks scattered over them.
The flames continued to follow me. I tried to run, but I quickly discovered that I had hurt my leg on the landing.
I still tried my best to run, but I kept tripping and falling over. I had more trouble breathing since I couldn't use my collar anymore thanks to me running. I saw a cave up ahead. It looked too far wet to have fire over there so I ran toward it.
I panted as I stopped in the cave. The flame surrounded the entrance. The smoke managed to find its way to continue to harm me. I couldn't go anywhere now. I went farther and farther back into the cave until I was in the very back. It was like I was in a nightmare, where shadows were chasing me and I couldn't go anywhere. I pulled my collar over my muzzle again, hoping that it would help.
It only made it worse...
It smelled like smoke, bad. I forced myself to keep it over my muzzle. The smoke surrounded all over me now. I couldn't see anything but smoke.
I coughed. My vision went blurry. I coughed more.
"Script!"
I could hear my parents calling for me, looking for me.
I tried to say something as loud as I could.
"Help..." I coughed. "help..."
Their voices echoed in my head. I shut my eyes, falling into a dark abyss.
I heard the sound of a siren. I barely opened my eyes. I saw myself staring at a pony in a medical outfit. I closed them again.
I woke up, finding myself in a different place that I didn't recognize. I heard beeping. I turned, finding a monitor on my side. One that was in the hospital that would connect to your heart beat. What ever they are called... I looked at my leg that was hurt. It was wrapped up a with a bandage. I rubbed my head. Before looking up to find a nurse coming in.
I don't know why it happened the moment she came in but when she did, I remembered my parents.
Mom!
I tried to say that aloud, but my voice was unusable. I panicked. I put my hoof to my throat. The nurse calmed me down. She explained what happened.
"Calm down, Script. You're safe now." she said quietly.
I could speak a little bit, but it wouldn't be very clear.
"Where's my mom and dad?" I croaked.
The nurse hung her head. "I'm sorry, but they died... trying to save you."
Tears formed in my eyes.
It can't be true...
My friends visited me as soon as they allowed them. They gave me some new stuff. Twilight got me a journal, Pinkie Pie gave me a cookie pillow, Fluttershy gave me a stuffed animal, Rarity brought me a new sweater and Applejack brought me the picture of when I was awarded the Best Young Writer's award.
I looked at the picture. I had my cutie mark. I looked at my parents. They were smiling. Tears formed in my eyes as I looked at it.
I couldn't take it any longer. I was bawling my eyes out at this point.
"This is all my fault! If I didn't run in that cave, they would still be here with me! I wish it was me! This is all my fault!" I cracked. My voice was raspy and it felt sore after shouting all of that.
"They should still be here with me...."
I covered my eyes as I cried. "They should still be here..."
I felt someone hugging me tight. I looked to see who it was.
Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were filled with tears. The rest of my friends joined in for the hug.
"We need you here, Script. Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault." Rarity sniffed.
"I miss my ma and pa too, Script." Applejack said. "We love ya too much to loose you too."
I shut my eyes tight and just cried in the comfort of my friends love. I looked at the picture of me and my parents.
- - -
A few days passed before I was allowed to leave the hospital. I didn't have a place to stay since my house was damaged by the fire, so Rarity let me spend the night at her house. The day after I was settled in, I had to go to the funeral. This was going to be the hardest thing in my life....
I stared at my parents. The sight was too disturbing for me. I couldn't bare to look anymore. I turned away, tears falling from my eyes.
I was the only family member who was able to go to the funeral. A few close friends came but it wasn't very many ponies...
When we were putting the caskets into the ground, I put in a few wild flowers in the hole. They were my mother's favorite. I cried and cried as I watched the hole fill up with dirt.
I stayed at the grave till dark. My friends walked up to me, when they reached me Rarity put her hoof on my shoulder.
"It's not your fault." she said.
"...I know..." I sniffed.
After the funeral, I went to the remains of my house. I went to my room. The walls were black and slightly falling apart from the fire. I looked at the wall that used to show the portrait of me with my parents. It was burned and you couldn't see it very well anymore. I went to my old closet.
All of my clothes were burned and my stuffed animals were black. My stories were gone, my pictures were burned, my clothes, gone. Everything...
It's all...
Gone...
My whole life, just turned to ash.
The only thing that wasn't ruined was my favorite quote on my wall. It was slightly burned, but readable.
Enjoy life today,
Yesterday is gone
Tomorrow
May never come...
I don't know why, but it made me less angry at myself. I put a smile on my face.
I then walked into my parents room. Everything was burned, as expected. The only thing I could find was a suitcase in the closet.
It said on it, "Family Memories."
I opened it up. The first thing I saw was a photo album titled, "Family Photos." I opened it.
My eyes lit up. I almost cried at what I saw.
I stared at a photo of me with my parents as a baby. I sucked on my hoof and they smiled at me. I was wrapped in my favorite blanket. I felt a tear fall from my cheek.
The photo's description was:
Bringing our new joy in life, Script Singer home.
I smiled. I turned the page. I saw pictures of me eating food, my first bath, my first steps and all types of old memories. As I looked at these pictures, the memories flooded back into my mind.
I turned the page. It was empty. A note fell out of the book. I read it.
We knew that someday we would not be there for you anymore.
We wanted to save all of our memories with you. Go make some more.
Love, Mom and Dad.
I looked through the suitcase some more. I found a few things of my mother's. I pulled out a dress. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I found a note attached to it.
For your special day, Script. it read.
I carefully put it back. I closed the suitcase.
- - -
I had nowhere to live... My siblings were far away and I didn't want to move out of Ponyville, so Twilight let me live with her.
I didn't really have many belongings. Just my sweater, the very few pictures I had left of my family, and the blanket I've had for my whole life. I packed my things into the suitcase from mom's room. I looked at the photo album on my nightstand. I picked it up. I stared at it for a moment before putting it in my bag.
I then lifted it, carrying it over to Twilight's Library.