Iron Fire had wrestled the covers over him to get into a comfortable position, winning after a few seconds. Skyward Flame couldn't help but laugh at his sons endeavors. Once Fire was settled, he looked at his father. "Dad, when are you going to Ponyville again?" His father let out a sigh. "Sooner than we had hoped. We're running low on lamp oil and food. Why do you ask?" His father cocked his head at his son. Fire's eyes shifted away, as if ashamed to even be asking the question. His eyes lit up as he answered his father. "I...I wanted to see the town. I've been locked up here with nothing but my window for all my life. No one even knows I exist!" His father let out another sigh. "Your not exactly a normal pony, Fire. You're a race that hasn't had a birth in a long, long time. If anypony got word that there was another alicorn, they might take you away." His father gained a frown. "Dad, you weren't from Equestria though! What's the difference?" He was almost shouting. "The difference is I am a pegasus, and your the same race as the princesses. One of which, saved my life. And don't you raise your voice with me!" His father was shouting now. Fire rolled over, no longer facing his dad. "I have no friends...You have mom, Rainbow Dash, and all those other ponies...I can't even do anything from up here but practice my magic..." His father just stood there, deep in thought. "Fine...Wear your cloak and make sure your hood is so tight it wont come even if you fly. I understand how you feel completely." Fire rolled over and leaped from his bed, hugging his dad. "Man, when I was his age I didn't way this much!" Flame thought as they fell to the ground, laughing. "Get some sleep, we leave tomorrow." He tucked his son in his bed again. "I love you, dad." His dad said the same thing and turned the light out, leaving him to dreams of what the town is like.
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Fire sat upright, both yawning and stretching. He got out of bed and opened his closet door, looking for his cloak. "Where did dad even get me this?" He said as he lifted the cloak from the closet with his magic. He wrapped it around his neck and put his large wings through their holes. "Fire, you almost ready?" A voice said from behind him, startling him as he lifted his hood. "Don't do that to me! I'm ready, anyhow." He tightened his hood, to ensure it wont fall back. His father just stood there laughing. "Your mother packed your breakfast. You can eat it on the way." The two made their way downstairs to the lobby. The room was semi-large with tables spread out. Some tables were empty and some had one or two ponies sitting at them. "Midnight, we're going into town now." He hollered as he got to the front door. "Be careful! Winter is very cold, even in Ponyville!" Flame laughed as he went towards the family carriage. He was about to help his son up when Fire leaped into the air with his wings, landing in the back. Flame shook his head, and got in the drivers area. "Alright guys, we're going to Ponyville." He said to the stallions driving the carriage, who all nodded their heads and made their way to town.
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Ponyville, even in the winter, was bustling with life. Fire's wings were beating with all the excitement he was holding in. His father turned his head around and smiled. "I'm surprised you even stayed in the cart for two hours. We're going to stop outside an old friend's house, you can stay with her." Fire sat there in the back thinking of every pony that he could mean in this town. Soon after, they stopped at a library. Flame jumped down and trotted to the door. Before he could even knock, a purple unicorn was there along with a white pegasus. "Dash told us you were coming, and had a strange passenger this time. Who's that?" The pegasus looked over Flames shoulder. "He's family from the Everwinter Badlands. Can you watch him for me, Mateo?" The pegasus nodded. Flame turned around and motioned for Fire to come, which he did using his wings. "His name is Iron Fire. I'll be back in an hour maybe, lots of shops and we've been getting lucky with money." Flame took his leave of the three and went to go shopping. "Ok, so who are you really?" Mateo said shutting the door.
Iron Fire looked at him blankly. "What he said is true, I'm family." Mateo looked down on him in an uncomfortable way. "We know that he has no family besides his wife." The purple unicorn said to Fire. Fire sighed, knowing he will get in trouble for this. "I'm Skyward Flame's son." Both ponies gave him shocked looks. "For how long?" The purple one asked. "Fourteen years. I live in the secret attic room, doing nothing but studying..." Fire lowered his head as he took a seat at the table. "Why would you be a secret? More importantly, why wouldn't he tell me?" Mateo was thinking aloud. "Excuse my husband. My name is Twilight Sparkle." She shot Fire a smile, which he didn't return. "What do you do for fun?" She asked him, still trying to be cheerful. "All I ever do is read..." He said to her in a low, saddened tone. "Hmm...Have you ever flown?" He shook his head. "Your kidding, right?" He shook his head again. "You're lucky Rainbow Dash isn't here, or else you'd be falling off a cliff right now." He looked at her funny. "How did you think your father learned to fly?" Fire sat there, imagining his dad falling off a cliff and then flying all over the sky. "Here, let me get you some books. I have quite the collection." She said laughing. She brought him a pile of books, which he dove straight in to.
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After two hours of reading, he finished almost every book in the library. Twilight just watched him as Mateo was flying around the house, finding more and more challenging books. "I've never seen a pony read so much in so little time...Except for my husband..." Twilight said staring as Fire finished another book. "When you have nothing but books, you learn to read very quickly." He said as he slid the book to her. Suddenly, a rainbow pegasus rushed in. "Twilight, Mateo, something bad's happened!" The three of them quickly turned to her. "Who's...Nevermind. Flame just told me something very bad happened at home, and gave me this letter to give to you both." She handed the letter to Mateo, who read it aloud. "Mateo, no doubt Fire has told you who he is. You, Twilight, and Dash are my closest friends, so I am entrusting you with my secret. By the time you get this, I've either gotten there and am long gone or dead. I'm sorry to not tell you this in person, but my family is in danger. I hope you understand. -Skyward Flame" Dash, Twilight, and Mateo all looked towards Fire, who had stepped down from the booth. "If that's what he wants..." He said as he flipped his hood down, revealing his horn. The three stared at him, amazed. "Your..." Twilight said, nearly speechless. "An alicorn...It doesn't matter now..." He said lowering his head down. "The princess needs to be notified of this right away!" Twilight shouted out, only to be stopped by Mateo. "It's going to have to be what he wants." Dash was the only one who hadn't said anything, obviously stuck in shock. Fire closed his eyes for a second, then something hit him. "I've got to get home!" He galloped out of the library and into the street, flapping his wings until he took off. He knew the way home, but he just hoped he could make it in time.
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When he reached the inn, it looked normal from the outside, but when he entered it was far from. Tables flipped and destroyed. Bodies of dead guests who decided to defend the inn were littered everywhere. A sickening feeling filled his stomach. He managed to hold it back while he went to his parents room. He slowly opened the door, and stepped inside. He threw up at the sight of his mother mutilated on her own bed. "She should have come with us..." He cried out, only thinking of ways he could have spared her from this. He heard hoof-steps from behind and quickly turned, tears still in his eyes. "Celestia...Are you alright?" Rainbow Dash had followed him to the inn, and tears filled her eyes too. Fire opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out were cries of misery. She leaned over to comfort him. "Come on, lets get you back to Ponyville....I'm so sorry..." She said as the two made their way back to Twilights. At this point, he didn't care who saw him in his entirety. All he wanted is to be rid of his home, and find out who killed his mother, and hopefully not his father.