> The Flame to an Icy Heart > by Skithiryx Icewing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ch.1 Icewing's Past > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Past of Icewing Deep in the depths of Equestria is a hive of changelings ruled by their Queen Chrysalis. This day is the day Icewing was hatched into the world. Like most of his species Icewing was born in a hive like many of his brother and sister before him. Icewing was different, and he didn’t even know what was different about him. Icewing was lucky he was born a male in the hive because that would mean he would have an easier time gathering others to join him into the hive where they would be captured and used as a source of love for the rest of the hive. The reason for this is in this hive females are only allowed to go out with they are partnered up with someone else. The other changeling plus the Queen were impressed by how effective Icewing was at gathering sources of love for the hive. After a while Icewing would become disgusted by the other changelings and their Queen as he continued living. Icewing’s disgust began when his race a special program that would send five teams out in pairs of two to gather new targets of love…children. Their reason for this is because they were more susceptible to leading back to the hive and easier to feed upon. The teams would be given targets to watch and fallow around until they knew their daily routine. It was then that one of them would disguise themselves as one of the parents while the other grabbed the child when they were distracted by the false parent. To this day Icewing still is haunted by the screams of parents and as well as the children they took to the hive to be used as a source of love. It was after many missions like these he planned on escaping the hive and this life style forever even if it meant his death which he started by isolating himself from everyone in the hive. Icewing lived like this for 18 years of his life alone. Until till he was given a very dangerous mission who other changelings have died trying to complete. Upon hearing this he took the mission almost instantly because there was a good chance he would never come back to the hive and can final be rid of his life. Things didn’t go according to plan well to Icewing’s plan anyway. Icewing came back successful even though he was trying to fail he still succeed at the task which bought not only a higher position in the hive, but he also brought in enough sources of love that would last the hive for a good three years. He was given one task that would change his plans and allow him to escape sooner. He was task with two other changelings to abduct all the people in an orphanage and leave one of the children in there to die in the fire, so suspicion would be placed on the orphanage being burnt to the ground by a freak accident. Everything was going according to the plan except when the fire start and kid woke up and started yelling and screaming for help. Couldn’t stand hearing it anymore Icewing rushed into the burning while amongst the flames changed into a white Pegasus and rushed to the room with the child. He grabs the child and busts out of a window and landing softly on the ground. Knowing he can’t return to the hive after what he did he put the child in the van and took him to the next city over to drop the child off at the fire department there. On the outskirts of the town he would leave the van and everything in it and start running for a whole year only to stop to rest and feed on wild life. Icewing would stop running when he came upon the town Torontrot and here is where he would find the first person to accept him for what he was this person was Reidō. Reidō saw Icewing in the alley behind her restaurant one night unconscious Reidō being the kind person she was took him in and gave him a room and a bed to sleep in and stayed with him the night making sure he was okay. Icewing woke up in the comfort a bed “Huh, where am I” while sitting up in the bed. As he was leaning up he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw an older person of Earth Pony descent. She has a greenish hue to her fur that were sticking out of a kimono with a black colored mane. Reidō spoke “Easy now you look as if you haven’t slept or ate anything in about a year. But the sleeping part I can understand your kind aren’t much for sleeping now, but still you look as if you haven’t had anything to eat.” Reidō still looking him over. “What will you have Mr.?” “Icewing” said Icewing and yes “I haven’t a single drop of food for about a year I have been running for so long that I haven’t stop to eat anything that I had to use my reserves.” Reidō hearing this asked “Well I’m guessing you don’t eat normal food per say?” Icewing nods in agreement with what she said “My kind feed off the love of others…” Reidō frowning “Love off others what do you mean?” Icewing sighs “We can eat, drink, and sleep if we want like normal people, but what we truly survive on is the love from people. It isn’t harmful to other unless we feed off a large amount from one which in that case they start to shut down and continuing to feed off can eventually lead to their death.” Reidō thinking “Are there any side effect on the changeling if they don’t feed for a long period of time?” she asks Icewing. Icewing nods “Yes, there is, but before I continue like I said I used what reserves I had so I will start exhibiting some of signs in a couple of weeks. There are four stages to hunger. First stage of hunger is you start looking at other being as a source of food then as a person. The second stage of hunger is an increase of aggression. Third stage is the start of your mind going feral. Fourth and most dangerous stage is full on feral where you have no control over your actions and your body.” Reidō looks a bit shocked “How have you survived a year like this then?” Icewing’s is a bit sadden “When I would start going into the first couple of stages of it I would be able to control it some and try to find a woodland critter to feed from. I have only been in the fourth stage once and thankfully I was in a forest when I did enter it.” Icewing starts shaking and tearing up “I don’t think the person I would have feed from would have survived.” Reidō looks at Icewing and hugs the changeling “Even though I have meet you only I day I know your heart is in the right place.” Icewing shocked at this returned the hug “You know I never got your name.” Reidō holds the hug then says “The name is Reidō” Icewing would spend the better part of 3 years working with Reidō in her sushi restaurant. Icewing would work as Waiter or a greeter, but he really succeed at was the weekends when he would work the stage and perform stories for the guest he would change forms every time when it got to different person in the story. The crowds thought it was part of the act and were amazed that one person was able to do this by themself. It was also during his stay here that he would look at the mother figure he was missing in his life, but it was also here that his nightmares would start and when he started drinking. Reidō was concerned for Icewing. Till one day Icewing came to talk to Reidō about taking a journey to try and find something that he was missing in life. Icewing knocks of the door of the Reidō room. As soon as Icewing is done knocking he hear come in Aisu (she started calling him that around the first year of his stay here). Icewing entered the room then bowed. He looked up and saw Reidō holding papers in her hands and on the desk that was in front of her. “Reidō, I wish to resign from working here on the count that I wish to take a journey of self-finding.” As Icewing would finish he would see Reidō. “I was waiting for this day to come ever since I took you in and you started working here I saw you were unhappy and you really didn’t try to make any friends. So I was waiting for something like to come up. I will say you’re going on a vacation you will be welcome back here when you come back after you find what you are missing.” Reidō finished say while she looked at Icewing. Icewing looking shocked started to give off tears of not sadness but joy “Thank you so much for everything you have done for me these past for years.” Reidō smiles “You don’t have to thank I saw you alone in that alley and thought no one ever deserves to be alone in their life. I threw caution to the wind when I brought you in. You made sure I didn’t make a bad decision. Even though you have cost me a bit in the missing Sake.” At the mention of that Icewing looks a bit sad and embarrassed. “But you have made more than a few missing bottles of sake are concerned no I was worried about you when I would come and wake you then find the empty bottles in your room. You tell me the same thing you were trying to forget the past. I agree you should go on this journey to try and find not only the missing something, but also find yourself in the process.” At this she hands him a two bags. One is filled with bits for the journey and the other is packed with what he would need for the journey. Icewing takes both bags and examines the contents of each one then looked “I…I can’t accept this other bag you need the money more than I do.” Reidō smiles “No you do consider it 4 birthdays worth of gifts.” Icewing get and drops the bags and hugs Reidō “Thank you soo much for everything you have ever given me.” Reidō returns the hug and smiles “I do hope you’re not going out like that now.” Gesturing to the fact he was in his changeling form. Icewing realizing what she was saying changed into bat pony form that had grey fur that you would see that wasn’t clothed while having purple eyes and a two toned mane of a dark and light purple with purple wings on his back. “I think this is good I never have been a bat pony before so yeah.” Icewing Looks at Reidō one last time “Thank you for everything.” At that Icewing went out the door and took the journey for what he was missing in his life. Two years have passed since Icewing left for his journey. Near the start of the near year Icewing would come back and go to Reidō restaurant and tell her about his journey, but that night had other plans for him because for those two years he had been sober, but it was this night that he had one of the worst nightmares he had ever had. Without thinking he grabbed his wallet and his keys knowing he wasn’t coming back to the hotel room and checked out. After Icewing had checked out he went to the nearest liquor store and bought two bottles of Jack. “Of all nights it had to be this one.” Icewing said while opening the bottle. “I have been sober for two years now.” Icewing starts drinking the Jack. “It had to be that dream of all of them…” Icewing said as he looked at the two bottles of Jack starting to get buzzed while walking in no particular direction. Icewing continued to walk then stumble down the sidewalk as it started to snow. “F-F-FUUUUUCK YOUUU SNOW!” Icewing bellowed in a drunken fit. He continued to stumble along the sidewalk until there was a good inch of snow. “T-T-THANK THEEEEE GODS FOOOOR GOOOD’OL JAACK!” Icewing bellowed as he walked he slipped on a patch of ice that had started form in front of a house breaking the second bottle of Jack in the bag and the one in his hand. As he laid on his back he just started sobbing “W-w-what I’m doooing to meee self” Icewing slurred. At that a light came on and in the door frame stood a Dragonoid with orange scales that could be seen that weren’t clothed. The Dragon looking at Icewing on the side walk on his back started walking to him. “Hey everything alright?” The dragon asked as he smelled alcohol on Icewing and noticing the tears on his face. Icewing responded “Oooh yaaah everything is just peachy just decided to sleep here fort the night OF COURSE I’M NOT ALRIGHT! Icewing bellowed at the dragon. “This has been my worst night yet here I am drinking to forget the past and I slip and fall on my ass and lose two bottles of good’ol Jack.” Icewing says while laughing. The Dragon sighs “Well would you like to at least come inside so you can at least be warm?” Icewing just nods his head and says “Thanks.” Before accepting the hand to get up and be escorted inside the house. “The name’s Icewing by the way” He told the dragon as they stepped inside the house. “Flamespitter” Replied the Dragon. “So you going to tell me what you were doing out in the cold winter night?” Flamespitter asked as he put Icewing in a chair in the kitchen. “Drinking to forget…the past” Icewing said as he stooped in the chair. “All because of one dream I had caused me to hit the bottle again.” “Really that bad?” Flamespitter asked Icewing across the table “Do you wish to talk about it?” “Not really… I know this a bad thing to ask since you just picked me off the street and all, but you wouldn’t a room to spare would ya?” Icewing asked while turning his head to Flamespitter. “Yah I do as a matter of fact it is down the hall on the left.” Flamespitter said to Icewing as he was getting “I guess we can talk more in the morning I guess Icewing…you what I’ll just call you Icy.” Icewing chuckles at the name “Alright and thanks again for the help and the room.” He gets up and shambles to the room. Flamespitter smiles “No worries no one deserves to be left alone in the middle of winter when a snow storm hits. Now go get some sleep.” Flame start making his way to the master bedroom while Icewing heads to the guest room. It was this fateful night that the life of the changeling Icewing would forever change because the next day he would start a friendship that would later change into a relationship that would lead into a marriage. But that is for latter. Now we must learn about the dragon Flamespitter. > Ch 2. Flamespitter's Past > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Past of Flamespitter In the town of Torontrot there lived a family of four Earth ponies. They were Autumn Night (mother), Wildfire (father), Flamespitter a yellow colored earth pony with fire colored mane and tail, and Grassy Knoll a light green colored earth pony with green hair. At the time, Flamespitter was 2 years old and Grassy Knoll was about a month old. It was the night of their ten year anniversary of being married, they wanted some alone time so they got a babysitter to look after the kids while they were out. Wildfire had made reservations at a five star restaurant, but unfortunately this would also be the night of their death. For as they were leaving the restaurant and driving home, a drunk driver was driving in the wrong lane too fast to stop and crashed into the vehicle Wildfire and Autumn Night were in at the time. Which caused an explosion that killed those in both of the cars. That night as all emergency vehicles where cleaning up the wreckage a note with the babysitter’s name and address was found in the wallet of Wildfire and one of the police officers took the reasonability with a heavy heart to inform the sitter of that night’s tragedy. At the babysitter’s house came three knocks at the door. The babysitter after putting Flamespitter and Grassy Knoll to sleep hears the knocking at the door and answers it. The officer (a blue Pegasus with a blonde mane and tail) looking at the sitter (a white unicorn with a pink mane and tail) “Ma’am may I come inside? I have some sad news to deliver and I think it would be easy if we were both sitting down when I give the news.” The sitter looking at the officer nods with a look of worry “Just keep it down, I just put the children to bed.” She said to the officer. As the officer is lead to the dining room table and sits across from the sitter “It is with a heavy heart that I have to report the death of Wildfire and we presume to be his wife.” The officer sighs trying to keep strong for the sitter who looked to be on the verge of tears. The Officer takes a deep breath “There was an explosion caused by a drunk driver driving on the wrong side of the road going at an extremely fast speed.” The officer watched as the sitter had put her head into her arms and started crying. “It is also with a heavy heart that I also have to inform you the children you are watching will be have to go into the foster care system, due to the issue of that they were the only family for them that were alive.” The officer sighs biting back tears himself “The children will be going under the foster care system tomorrow. If you have anything to say to them please do so tonight.” As the officer finished a single tear runs down his right cheek knowing the life the children are going to have is not an easy one. The sitter picking her head after what felt like an hour and nods at what the officer is saying before he leaves and just mutters “I just can’t believe they are gone.” The officer gets up and walks to the door “Please try to have a good rest of the night Ma’am.” At that he extends his wings and flies back to the HQ letting the tears he was holding in out along the way. The sitter gets up herself and checks on the children giving each a bit of wet kiss on each of their forehead before leaving the room and going to hers crying herself to sleep that night. The next day, two Earth Ponies from the foster care system came to the house of the sitter knocking of the door requesting the two fillies. The sitter only nodded and relinquished the two fillies to them. The two fillies were crying as they were handed over to people they didn’t know. The two earth ponies were able to calm them after what seemed like hours. The two Earth Ponies looked as the sitter and thanked her for her cooperation as the sitter closed the door and went to bed again crying herself to sleep again. The two workers would then split Flamespitter from his sister Grassy Knoll when they arrived at the first orphanage that Flame would be in for a majority of his life. At the orphanage he would get pushed by others so he would hide from others and play with toys he would be able to find. As he lived in the orphanage he would find things to scare off the bullies so they would leave him alone. At the age of six, he would be adopted to many families that would adopted children just for the money from it. He would move from family to family until the age of ten but unfortunately Flame was starting to turn into a punk, he'd always try to find a way to steal, write things on walls and vandalize a property, but also at the age of ten he would be adopted by the first real decent family he had ever met. This family wasn’t like the others because when they brought Flamespitter home he would be welcomed by the family’s other siblings (two brothers and one sister). While at this family they taught Flame to behave better and they also offered Flame books to read which he especially took interest in ones on science because through them Flame learned better ways of making explosives, detonations, etc. Which is why his favorite book was the Anarchist’s Cookbook. Unfortunately the happiness he would with this family would end four years later due to the death of the mother. The father tried his best to keep all the children together, so Flamespitter said his good byes to the family and soon lived on the streets at the age of 14. It was on the streets that Flamespitter would meet a pony named “Wolf” even though his real name was Longshot. Their meeting could’ve been better, but Wolf saved Flamespittrer from a couple of thugs. “Just give us your money as well as any valuables ya got and you may go out with a few brusies.” A big bulky Earth pony said as him and his partner closed in on Flamespitter. “Ya, all we want is your money and anything of value your hiding.” A smaller and agile Pegasus said stand next to his partner. Flame smirked and casually put his hands into his pocket grabbing a match and a homemade smoke bomb “All right. No need to say the same thing twice just give me a couple of minutes to find my wallet.” He light the smoke bomb and chucked it at the two hitting the big one square in the forehead and the smoke started pouring out of the bomb. “Ow, that hurt.” The big one said rubbing his head and coughing. “Aaaaaah, Get him we’ll make him pay for this.” The little one screamed at the big one. Flame not wasting time started running further down the alley from the two as the smoke came out. As Flame took a right he ran right into a grey unicorn called Wolf. “Oof, hey wa…” Flame said when he saw who he ran into “Ah shit.” The two goons caught up to Flame “There’s the bastard.” The little yelled. As they got closer they started to go pale and both in unison said “Fuck.” Wolf smirked and looked at the two goons, “You two trying to extort one of my people? Because if you are then you’re extorting me as well” The two goons looked at each other and bolted when Wolf said that both yelling “We didn’t know he was with you!” Wolf then turned his attention towards Flamespitter “So handy with explosives eh?” Flamespitter shivering in place just nods. Wolf notices this and adopts a friendlier look. “Hey, you're okay now they aren’t going to hurt you any longer. Now why are you out here and not inside with your folks?” Wolf said to Flame as he kneeled down to be on Flame’s level. Flame starts to become a little calmer now “I don’t have a family to go to.” He said while looking at his feet. Wolf looks a bit sad at hearing the news “I won’t ask what happened or how long you haven’t had a family, but if you want, you're welcomed to come with me.” Wolf said to Flame trying to cheer him up. Flamespittter looked at Wolf and nodded at the offer. Wolf smiled and put an arm around Flame’s shoulder as he guided him to his place which he would live with him for three years at which they would find other hoodlums. Buzz an orange male unicorn who was crazy yet brilliant at the same time, next was Trail Blaze, a bright red female Pegasus who was lean, fast, and agile, third was Tack, a blue male earth pony who was tall and older, and finally was Beat, a brown earth pony who was strong and a bit bulky who could lay a beatdown on anyone who messed with her music. It was when they were together that called themselves The Devas. Flamespitter involved himself further with the group as they vandalized, stole what they could to survive, or whatever they thought was fine at the time. Unfortunately, they eventually tipped off a high level gang and they started coming after The Devas. The first to go was Tack, he was killed by the other gang while The Devas maintained what ground they had. Flamespitter crafted an abundant of explosives to try and distract the other gang, but unfortunately they didn’t work. Everyone except Buzz and Flamespitter was killed by the other gang, but soon afterwards the police showed up and put into custody what gang members weren’t put down by the police. After the issue with the gang Flamespitter just perfected his graffiti as well as his art of bomb making. Flamespitter then started firework shows for his fallen friends. It was at one of his shows that he was approached by the head of a firework show company and asked if he would be interested in doing firework shows for money. Flamespitter accepted the job offer and worked for the company. When Flamespitter turned 18 the contents of his parents will came to him. Flamespitter would inherit the house and some money to live with. So now Flamespitter had a home, a little money, and a job which he worked as pyro technician for two years. In those two years Flamespitter had asked out a female charcoal colored pegasus named Ember. Things were going smoothly until Flamespitter went to Buzz, who now was doing alchemy now, and asked to be something different. Buzz owing Flamespitter his life obliged with a few tests that turned Flamespitter into that of a dragonoid. When Flamespitter’s girlfriend found out about this she instantly dumped him for what he looked now. Flamespitter’s heart was broken from that day forward, he had lost the first thing he had loved along with everything else that had happened to him in his past. Flamespitter started going solo from that day and closed his heart from everyone. Then one winter night Flamespitter’s life would change. Flamespitter was in his house drinking some chai tea to help him get to sleep. It had almost become a ritual for him to drink some tea before bed. It was then he heard the bellowing. “T-T-THANK THEEEEE GODS FOOOOR GOOOD’OL JAACK!” someone bellowed outside of his house. Flame looked outside of window and saw the snow. “The drunken idiot needs to get inside before this gets worse.” Flame said as he was cleaning up everything he has used to make the tea. The drunk then slipped on some ice and with a thud landed on his back then started sobbing “W-w-what I’m doooing to meee self” they slurred. Flamespitter hearing this sighed and turned the porch light on and poked his head out of the door and saw the batpony on the ground sobbing. Flamespitter started walking and asked “Hey, everything alright?” as he was walking his suspensions were correct as he caught a whiff of alcohol on the batpony. The batpony looked at Flamespitter “Oooh yaaah everything is just peachy just decided to sleep here fort the night OF COURSE I’M NOT ALRIGHT!” he bellowed at Flamespitter. Then the batpony started laughing “This has been my worst night yet here I am drinking to forget the past and I slip and fall on my ass and lose two bottles of good’ol Jack.” Flamespitter hold out a hand to help the batpony up from the snow. The batpony says “Thanks” Before taking the hand. “The name is Icewing.” “Flamespitter” he replied back to Icewing as he helped him inside the house. “So you going to tell me what you were doing out in the cold winter night?” Flamespitter asked as he put Icewing in a chair in the kitchen. “I was drinking to forget…the past.” Icewing said as he stooped in the chair. “This stemmed from just one nightmare…” “Really that bad?” Flamespitter asked Icewing while making some tea and setting it down on the table “Do you wish to talk about it?” “Not really… I know this a bad thing to ask since you just picked me off the street and all, but you wouldn’t a room to spare would ya?” Icewing asked Flamespitter “Yah I do as a matter of fact it is down the hall on the left.” Flamespitter said to Icewing as he was getting up “I guess we can talk more in the morning Ic…you what I’ll just call you Icy.” Icewing chuckles at the name “Alright and thanks again for the help and the room.” He says shambling to the room. Flamespitter smiles “Don’t worry about it, no-one deserves to be left alone in the middle of winter when a snow storm hits. Now go get some sleep.” Flame start making his way to the master bedroom while Icewing heads to the guest room. As Flamespitter goes into the master bedroom and sets on the bed he started feeling something in his chest. What Icy didn’t know was that Flamespitter has been alone in that house for a few months. After helping Icy in that night Flamespitter felt something towards the Batpony, but he couldn’t figure out what it was, but Flamespitter was tired and wanted to get some sleep. It was this fateful night that the life of the earth pony turned dragon Flamespitter would forever change because the next day he would he would realize that his heart has slowly started opening towards Icewing. Flamespitter would gain a friend in that of Icewing, that friendship would change into a relationship which in turn would lead to a marriage and Flamespitter in the process would make a few sacrifices to keep Icewing part of his life, and Icewing would do the same to keep Flamespitter in his. Now you know the pasts of The Changeling Icewing and The Earth Pony turned Dragon Flamespitter. Now the real story begins with the new day.