Chapter 1
The clouds were just starting to disperse. A light pink blue color slowly began creeping out from the sun.The day had begun once more. Stirring out of an unpeaceful sleep, Fireclould slowly opened her eyes a few times, yawning she shook her mane and tail. Her dark red mane was forever windswept, her tail was long and dragging on the ground behind her. Rising to her hooves, stretching out her back legs, while arching her light red, yellow wings, Firecloud couldn't stop yawning and yet she couldn't stop smiling as she looked down at her newborn colt who in truth was now a three-month-old. The foal had a multicolored coat. While this itself wasn't uncommon to some ponies, his coat, it seemed, couldn't make up its mind. The foal would change his colors from red, black or yellow or any combination of the three. At night while he slept, his body would turn white, and what was stranger, his coat, while white, would glow. Firecloud would tease him that he was part firefly.
In an instant the sun had risen, his coat, now a mix of yellow and black, glistened in the morning dawn.
''Crimson Comet, time to wake up,'' his mother called softly.
No response.
''Come now, Crimson, I know you're awake.''
Still no response.
''Oh, all right, I guess I'll have to wake you up the hard way.''
A smile started to appear on the colt's face. As his mother moved her wings down to begin the tickling torture, his eyes snapped open revealing his pale blue green eyes, that now had an evil mischievous look in them. Firecloud had no chance as her son suddenly used his wings to attack the underside of her stomach.
'' I go you! I got you!'' shouted an excited Crimson.
''Yes, you most certainly did. But now I have you! '' cried Firecloud joyfully as she quickly scooped up the surprised colt in her wings and with a quick flash they were in the air.
Crimson, now hanging onto his mother's back, said in a pouting voice.
''No fair, I wasn't ready.''
A boastful Firecloud called back over her shoulder.
''Oh, yes you were. You shouldn't have let down your guard.''
''It's still wasn't fair,'' her son said.
''All right, since I won, you get to decide on breakfast.''
This cheered up the colt considerably.
''Let me guess....?'' she said.
''Waffles with daisy's !!'' finished Crimson.
''Mmm yum.'' sighed a very full Crimson. ''Mom can I go out and play? I'll stay close by the cave.''
Firecloud nodded her head. ''Yes. Have fun. If you need me I'll be on the clouds to the north of the cave.''
''Don't worry mom I can find you with the locator spell I taught myself.'' Crimson said lightning up his horn.
''I know you can. But don't forget to use your mind as much as you use your magic!'
He just nodded his head. Noticing his quiet response, Firecloud took to the sky and clouds that waited for her. Despite his earlier wanting to explore, Crimson Comet just sulked by the cave. Why did his mother hate magic so much he wondered? No, not all magic, why did she hate his magic? As he began galloping to his favorite spot, he was soon lost in his thoughts. He thought back to the time that he had cast a spell to ignite the fire so this mother wouldn't have to bother with it. As he had stood to the side he looked up to see Firecloud with dread in her eyes as they fell onto the fire.
'' Comet, what have you done!'' she shouted with such a force that nearby fireflies darted away in fright.
''It was nothing, mom.'' called back Crimson misreading the pain and fear in his mother's eyes. He happily continued to show off with another simple trick.
''Look at this!''
She watched in horror as a black beam shot forth from his horn. She gasped as it surrounded the fire and turned the flames black.
''Now it won't die out til morning! Mother?'' he asked. ''Aren't you happy we won't have to keep a watch on the flame all night?''
''CRIMSON COMET!'' she yelled as he flinched from the anger in her voice
''Never let me catch you performing spells again! Do you understand?''
''But mom......'' his voice was barely above a whisper.
''Do not argue. Go to bed now!''
As he went to the back of the cave, he glanced sadly at the fire he had worked so hard on, and all to please his mother. Why did she hate this part of him so much?
His mind had finally snapped back to the present; his hooves suddenly felt wet. Yes! He was here! He had reached his favorite spot, it was a large lake where he practiced his magic to his heart's content.
''Now let's see what you can do horn!''
It had been a fun day so far. Crimson had given the birds musical instruments to play some of his favorite songs.
''Now what to do?'' he thought as he looked at the pond which wasn't a pond anymore.
He had turned it into a boxing ring complete with ropes, corner trainers, fans, and of course, boxers who at one point had been fish. They still were, albeit quite larger and equipped with boxing gloves. Crimson cheered as the bass gave a powerful uppercut to the eel. Thinking he should start back to the cave and seek out his mother, the colt put everything back to how it was. Wanting to get back as fast as possible, his wings became fully arched, ready to gain altitude. Crimson was a few feet off the ground when he spied a black crow on the forest floor struggling for breath. As he came closer he could see the bird had a broken wing.
''How do I help you?'' he asked softly.
As he spoke the crow gave a weak chirp and then remained still.
''NO! '' yelled Crimson ''He was alive how could he be gone?''
Tears started falling off his cheek onto the crow. Unbeknownst to Crimson his horn grew two inches and by itself. It seemed to shoot a powerful black beam of light directed right at the crow. The blast was so powerful the back force carried Crimson off his hooves and smacked him into a tree two feet behind him. The light and beam started to fade and a loud chirp was heard. Crimson looked up just in time to see the crow flying off as if nothing had happened.
''He's ok...'' Crimson said but then he slipped into unconsciousness.
As he lay there an owl, who had been watching the whole event unfold, smiled. The next moment, where the owl had stood, there was nothing but a purple cloud of dust riding off into the sky toward the north clouds.
Whilst the events of the forest played out. Firecloud had taken to her true home in the sky, darting through the clouds, racing the birds and other flying creatures, jumping and leapfrogging among the exquisitely soft and cool clouds. Digging through a rather deep cloud Firecloud stopped halfway through so that only her head and tail showed, the rest of her was buried by the cloud.
''Oh, how I miss the sky and everything here! I don't think I've ever stayed grounded for so long as these past months.''
This was the truth. In fact, before she had had Crimson she hardly if ever felt the ground beneath her hooves. She would spend her days flying in the sun and rain, napping in the clouds and setting obstacle courses using clouds, birds, trees. Even when hunger overtook her, Firecloud would hover over the pond or nibble on high trees where her favorite flowers grew. But that had all changed when Crimson Comet had been born. It was no longer safe for her or him to spend their days that way.
''Hopefully, it won't come to pass for a while longer.'' Firecloud said sadly to herself. '' Now down to the business at hand.''
She made a beeline for a particular cloud positioned far from the others. Reaching the spot, she sat down and stared out to the clear sky. While to some ponies, glancing this scene before them, they would think her lazy or out of it. In truth Firecloud could sense the presence of others approaching by reading the sky and air currents. As her staring continued it suddenly reached far beyond time and space, a sharp pain shot from her head, her wings crumpled beneath her. Spiraling to the ground like a rock she whipped and whirled to look at why her wings weren't doing anything as they should have been. What she saw nearly made her pass out. Firecloud had no wings anymore. Nothing was there! Landing hard on her back, Firecloud, filled with a sense of foreboding, glanced at her back flank.
''No, it can't be.'' She wept sadly to herself. She watched silently as the image of the red cloud and three pink butterflies underneath the red cloud slowly faded one shade lighter.
''Oh Firecloud, my old friend, how long you denied me,'' chuckled a cruel deep voice.
Gritting her teeth in anger, she shouted at the shadow above for she was too weak to move any part of her body.
''Sombra, you will not be victorious. He is stronger than you! His heart and spirit will defeat you! ''
''Oh, is that so,'' the voice teased. ''And how will he accomplish this feat? You have kept him in the dark, hiding everything from who he is and what he can do, or will become.''
Hearing this, Firecloud felt her tears falling off her cheeks and onto the ground. Knowing he was right was the worst pain of all. As the sky became black, Sombra's shadow grew fainter although his voice became louder calling out to Firecloud.
''I hope you break it to your little foal in time. Need I remind you once your cutie mark has faded out completely you will be no more.''
Stooping over her, Sombra's shadow engulfed her, restoring her wings fully.
''Why...?'' Firecloud questioned. But was stopped short as Sombra said, ''Last day here, might as well enjoy the wings while you can.''
With a loud crack only the night sky surrounded Firecloud. Taking no time the pegasus took to the sky leaving only a trail and shadow of dust as she continued on to the cave.