//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Six Years Later // Story: Left With A Feather // by Silver Octave //------------------------------// It was a wonder how he was born. Sunny didn't know it would happen at all,but she didn't care. It was her son! Alive and well, but not a normal unicorn she had predicted. Blaze Bolt was born with abnormal abilities most unicorns didn't have, but what alicorns had. Blaze was born with a horn and wings which shocked the doctors who were delivering him. His eyes weren't matching as the left one was a crystal blue color, and the other looked like fire was fazing through it. His mane and tail were a deep firey orange that was warm to the touch. His coat was a copper color. Aside from that, Blaze tried to act normal, but soon did he find out that different ponies don't get to act normal. During pre-school he learned this when a group of fillies and colts started to beat him up, and call him names. So after that Sunny found that it was time to move to a more calmer town, and not Manehatten after they already moved from Canterlot after Blaze was born. It Sunny's surprise Blaze had adapted to the move rather quickly, but something kept him from being happy. He wasn't normal, he was a freak. That's how he saw it, but Sunny would always say no matter what, she would always love her son even though he was different. It made him feel a little better, but there was no way ponies would accept him. Now, Sunny was finishing up paper work to allow Blaze to enter the Ponyville school. Now that he was six they could accept him into the school. Blaze didn't want to, but it wasn't like he had a say in what he did, he just did it without question. She tapped the pen onto the table, and smiled at the school teacher. "I thank you for this Cheerlee!" Sunny said hugging the teacher. "I knew you'd pull through for me." The teacher laughed. "It's quite alright, I'm sure after a little while he'll be accepted. This small town is quite accepting to those who wish to be." She said. "Let me know if you need me to do anything for you in return for this." "No need Sunny, you're a friend. Friends help friends in need. Of course, are you in need?" Sunny nodded rapidly. "I am!" She laughed. "Thanks again, I need to get going." "No problem, I'll see him on Monday!" Cheerlee called out. "Alright! And hey! Maybe we should talk sometime?" Sunny asked her friend. They met in collage during their first few years. They helped each other study, and went to the same school to help learn how to become a teacher as student-teachers. At first they didn't get along, but then they started to notice how much they like helping students prosper to become the future of Equestria. "To catch up maybe?" "It's a deal! See you tomorrow!" Sunny smiled as her mission to enroll Blaze into school was a success, now her only other problem she had to solve. How was she going to get her son there? He didn't like school one bit. The only thing to do was to ask him how he felt about going to a different school. "NO!" Blaze yelled running up to his room. "I'm a freak! I can't go!" Sunny sighed. "Please Blaze, you need to be educated!" She called back. "They'll make fun of me!" "Not if you stay next to Cheerlee, those bullies won't get close to you." Sunny started to make her climb up the set of stairs. "Do it for me?" Blaze's head dropped, realizing he wasn't going to get out of this the easy way like he had hoped. "I'll try...mommy." He complied as his mom reached him. "I know you're different Blaze Bolt, but being different is good. You can lift things into the air, as well as yourself with those awesome wings you have. It's not everyday you can find a unicorn that can fly with firey wings!" She said trying to cheer him up. "Besides why do you care what they say?" The colt looked up at his mom with confusion. "Why?" He asked. "I don't know...Those words...they hurt when they say it..." "Do you let those words hurt you?" She asked back. "If they do, just...ugh...I wish your father were here! He'd know what to do in this situation..." She fell next to him with a frown straight across her face. "What do you think he'd do?" Blaze asked. Sunny shrugged. "I don't know, that's the problem..." She replied with a long sigh. "I was hardly ever bullied when I was your age. Back when I was your age, I was the one who everypony looked to solve their problems. I remember your father came to me one day asking if I could help him with an as-uh-jerk...yeah a jerk. Anyways...I helped him, and he asked if he could pay me back with a trip to a nearby coffee shop that just opened up." "You just told me how you met, not how to stop the bullies." Sunny waved a hoof. "I say find a way to get back at those bullies, without hurting them please. Just, do a small prank. I used to do pranks when I was your age! Yeah, do that!" She laughed for a moment, brightening the mood up a little bit. After that Blaze went to his room to go play on his Joy- Boy as Sunny prepared dinner. Thoughts races through her head of the night Delphi died to save them. The last words she said before she died after giving her a feather to remind her. She knew about the red stripe in her hair, didn't mind it much at all, in fact she liked it. But the night still haunted her. Dreams where she'd be fooled into thinking her husband did come home from work, and the laboratory didn't explode. Dreams where she'd have those first few years of teaching her son the basics, and throwing a ball with his father. She stirred the carrots in the pot, and felt a single tear glide like melting butter down her face. She wiped it off, and smiled. "I've made it this far!" She said cheering herself up. Dinner pasted by quietly, and soon after that they went to bed. The alarm went off waking Sunny up from her peaceful slumber. Hazely she sat up out of her bed. "BLAZE! WAKE UP!" She shouted loudly over the buzzer. She clicked it off, and walked to Blaze's room. "Time for your first day of scho-....What are you doing?" She asked as she saw Blaze trying to open the window. "Um....going to school?" He said with a dishonest smile. Sunny walked over to him, and closed the window. After locking it, she looked at Blaze with sympathy. "It's alright to be nervous Blaze, I was too when I went to first grade." "But you aren't like me!" He said pouting. "You're not a freak..." "You're not a freak Blaze Bolt! You're different and you're my son!" Blaze rolled his eyes, walking out the door to his room. Sunny followed and continued to talk to her son. "Besides I already talked to Cheerlee, and she knows of your situation. If somepony bullies you, just go to her. If they do it again, prank'em!" She jumped ahead of him. "Just not to hard m'kay?" "Fine..." He grunted. They had made their way to the school, after eating some eggs and grits, and already kids were looking at Blaze weirdly. He had the feeling of butterflies flying around in his stomach, and his wing moved down to cover his face. Sunny looked at him, then back up. "It'll be alright hun, you'll be okay." She reassured him. "Just remember what I told you before we left after breakfast. Ignore their awful words." Blaze nodded, still under the cover of his wing. They slowly approached Cheerlee, whispers clearly heard, and the teacher smiled. After a short talk, Sunny bent down low enough to meet eye to eye with Blaze. "Don't worry, she'll keep you safe. She's a good friend of mine, so I'm sure she'll take care of any bullies that come your way." She stood back up. "I'll see you after school m'kay?" "Kay..." "Come on Blaze, I'll show you to your new desk." Cheerlee said with a light smile. They walked into the class room after passing more students who continued with whisper. Three student in particular did the same. "What do ya suppose his name is Sweetie Bell?" "I don't know, do you Scootaloo?" Sweetie asked. "I think it's Blaze or something. Came into town a few weeks ago. Heard his name while his mom was yelling for him this morning." "Can you believe that an Alicorn is going to OUR school?!" Apple Bloom asked, looking from the other side of the door. The filly searched for a cutie mark on the colt's flank, but to her suprise he didn't. She shot back with a smile. "What?" The other crusaders asked. "He don't got ah cutie mark!" "Oh we can make him a crusader!" Sweetie Bell said jumping up and down. "Hold on girls, we're not even sure if he's cool about it." The crusaders looked in unison at the new student, studying him. They noticed his mismatched eyes, his large wings for his body, and something they didn't expect. When Blaze blew into his hair it flowed upwards and stayed up for a short moment. It waved around until he noticed he was being watched. The hair fell, and he hid away behind his wing. "Think he might be a little shy..." Apple Bloom said as the trio huddled together. "Well, whatever maybe we'll ask him during lunch!" Sweetie Bell offered the idea. Scootaloo looked in for a moment, then rejoined the group. "Good idea, at least then we'll get a good chance to talk to him." The bell rang loudly starting the school day. When all the students entered the class they all glared at Blaze. He felt like the world was looking at him, but when Cheerlee cleared her throat they directed their attention to her. "Good morning everypony! Today is a special day, we have a new student. His name is Blaze Bolt, please do be kind to him." She said. "Blaze would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" He shook his head in compliance. "No ma'am, if that's fine." "Well I'm sure you have something cool to say to the class." She smiled. "I'm from Canterlot...is that good?" He asked, whispers started up again. Cheerlee stomped her hoof to quiet the class, even scaring a couple of students. "Anything else?" "I'm part Phoenix, now please stop..." Cheerlee lost control of the class, realizing was a bad idea to make Blaze introduces himself. After face-hoofing, she rang a small bell as hard as she could. As soon as the class calmed down she cleared her throat again. "Well, anyways, I hope you have a good time while you're here Blaze." Blaze nodded, looking around. He knew it was going to be a by day. And after the bell ran for lunch/recess, he rushed out trying to avoid the ponies who were trying to flood him with questions. Luckily his wings were big enough to propel him up to the top of a large oak tree. He took a moment to if the tree would catch fire from his mane. Smiling seeing how the tree didn't combust, he laid back looking at the unmoving clouds. The serenity of the air that made the leaves move making a harmony that he was sure only he could hear. Something about being part EXTRA magical, and more bird helped him relax. Ever since he was three he tried flying. After a couple of months he could fly up to ten minutes. From then he slowly got better at flying, hence why he tried to fly out the window. He saw a pony called Rainbow Dash creating a sonic rainboom after the royal wedding. The wave of multicolored light wave made him cry, its was so beautiful. The speed to break the light barrier in a single instance amazed him, and took it as a challenge to go faster. As shy as he was around letting ponies get near him, he was a tough little colt. He would do all sorts of things,some of which ended up getting in trouble. Most of the time he would get a long talk, but that was it. He wasn't spanked, he was lectured. He didn't like them, but when his mom explained things to him, she would talk about a phoenix who saved her life. Blaze didn't get it most of the time, but he grew to seeing the phoenix as a hero. After a few moments his thoughts were disrupeted by a few fillies talking. He looked down from his perch to see what was going on the ground below him. "So, me and Silver Spoon want you girls to get that alicorn for us!" "And why would we do that?" The pony with the bow asked. "You always tell us what to do!" "So we can talk to a prince! Oh! Just get him!" "Nuh-uh! You get him!" "If you don't I'll tell everypony a rumer they'll believe." The pony with a crown threatened. Something told him to jump down and introduce himself and tell the truth, but another told him to stay and watch. He was shy yes, but he hated bullies. "Why do you keep coming to us to do things for you?" A unicorn asked. It was the three ponies who were watching him from the hall. They didn't talk very quiet, because he heard them talk about asking him to join a group of their's. "Just do it!" The bully shouted. The three fillies being bullied looked up seeing that he had watched the whole thing go down. It was pointless now to stay in hiding. Everypony wanted to see him, now all it was for him to do now, and show himself. He thought about it for a moment, then nodded, seeing it was the best thing to do. Blaze jumped off the tree and landing with a pissed look on his face. "Hello! My name i-" "I don't care who you are..." Blaze deadpanned. "I heard what you were going to do to my friends...I don't like what you said to them. Say sorry..." "Why? I don't have too!" Blaze looked into the bully's eyes with a frown locked onto his face. "Say...sorry...now...Or do you want to mess with alicorn magic?" He threatened. The bullies looked at each other with worried looks on their faces then sighed. "Sorry..." They said as they walked away. It took Blaze a moment to turn around and face the ponies he called 'friends', and when he did they smiled at him. With confusion on his face he shook his head. "I-I don't like bullies...that's why I helped you. Not because we're friends..." The fillies nodded, but Blaze felt like he had more to say. "But...since we aren't-" "YES!" They shouted running up to him. They nearly knocked him over in the process. "Get off! I can't breath!" He called. "Thanks for helping us with those two butt heads." The filly with a bow asked. "My name is Apple Bloom!" "I'm Scootaloo!" "And I'm Sweetie Bell!" "Hey, I'm Blaze...so...yeah..." He said realizing he was talking to three fillies. He felt himself tense up, and right as the bell rang, he flew off back inside. "I think he likes us..." Sweetie Bell said looking at her friends. "Ya think?" Apple Bloom asked. "You girls can have'em. I've got no time to be messing around with colts." "And me and Button Mash are a thing,,," Sweetie said softly. "So that leaves him with me? No way! I want to hang with Rainbow Dash!" "Come on! You're the only one who can fly in our group!" "So?" "You'll make a great match for him!" "NO! You saw he had a horn! Why don't you get him Sweetie Bell!?" "I just told you I'm dating Button Mash!" She shouted. "Apple Bloom, help me with this!" "I'm stay'n out of this..."