I don't really remember my dam; she died when I was at an early age. My father never talks about her; and whenever I'd ask him about what mama looked like, he would only huff, "Don't you have anything else to do, Mintblizzard? You shouldn't ask idle questions like that. Go and play with your friends, and don't ask me that question again." And then he would shoo me off with my tail tucked between my legs. I was only a weanling, and didn't understand any better about anyone's feelings. My milk-dam was Violetquake, a pretty mare; she had deep violet feathers, and a dark silver coat. Her filly was Merryfeather, and she always ignored me. She didn't like how I was getting most of the attention; the strawberry roan always pushed to get her true mother's attention on her all the time. I had been pushed around by the colts, which had strong mothers and fathers. My young heart hardened into hatred and grief. Learning that only the toughest survives, I began to practice sharpening my hooves and forcing myself to exercise more. I had begun to go off by myself more and more often; away from my friends, away from any pegasus. That little voice inside my head kept saying, "Only the toughest survives." My grief and anger towards everyone grew at every second I went off to be alone. But I didn't realize how much harm that can do to a pegasus. Until one day I had learned the hard way.

I stood under an old oak tree, preening my feathers; not really knowing what to do. Sudden shouts burst through the thicket deeper in the forest and startled me. I whirled around, my ears stiff, facing the direction of the yells. I decided to take a look, even though it might cause a heap of trouble, I didn't care, even if it killed me.

Laughter exploded behind a thicket of brush, cruel laughter. My gut twisted as I peered through an opening of brush; five colts, Minceclaw, Oakengray, Earthtail, Jadefray, and Darkmist, were all crowded around a horse; biting, kicking and laughing at its squeals of pain. It was a gray pinto; its eyes were rimmed white as the cruel yearlings tortured it. I arched my neck to see the horse better; my stomach hurtled when I saw what the horse actually was... a pegasus. His dark emerald wings were being bitten and his feathers were being torn out by the roots. He, the pegasus whom I'd thought was a horse, was Oakwind; one of my friends who had stood up for me. And now here I was, watching him being tortured by the same colts who had bullied me. A sudden fire of anger exploded within me. I reared and burst through the thicket, ramming the groups' leader, Darkmist, in the back, making him tumble head-over-hooves into Minceclaw. I reared again and clobbered Oakengray over the head, knocking him out cold. Oakwind shrank away behind a tree as I grabbed a mouthful of mane between my teeth and flung Earthtail into a tree, making him cry in surprise, pain, and anger. By then Darkmist recovered and pranced in front of me.

"What are you doing here, Baby-blizzard?" He sneered, his followers laughed, except Oakengray, for he was still out. "Are you here to save Oaky-woaky?"

"Yes!" I brayed, slicing the air with my hooves, "Do you all still underestimate me, Darkmist? I'm stronger than you think; and I'm not going without Oakwind, not without a fight!"

Darkmist's expression darkened, "Okay then, have it your way. You and I will fight, hoof-to-hoof, the first one dead loses, and the other wins."

Jadefray gasped, and trotted up to Darkmist, "You're kidding right? Mintblizzard is only a yearling," the dapple gray whispered.

Darkmist turned to Jadefray, "No, I'm not kidding; Mintblizzard is broken anyway, she has nothing to lose. And nobody else would care. If she's down, and cannot get up, I'll give you the honors of ending her misery."

Jadefray exhaled long and loud, "I- but I don't want to do that! It will be murder."

"Just do it; and besides," Darkmist replied with a glance at Oakengray, "she already did something wrong." Jadefray nodded reluctantly and trotted back to where the rest had gathered.

"Hey Oakwind," the cruel colt said, gesturing to the pinto, "say farewell to Mintblizzard."

"NO!" Oakwind got up and reared, but crumpled down into a heap, "Don't do this Mintblizzard," he whispered weakly, and closed his eyes.

I bared my teeth, "I'm doing this for you, Oakwind, even if it kills me."

Jadefray raised his gray-blue wing, "The first one dead loses, and the killer wins; and the prize is Oakwind, he is in the winner's wings to do whatever he wants with him," Jadefray breathed in slowly, "Fighters ready?"

In response I lowered my head, teeth bared. Darkmist arched his neck and sneered.

"FIGHT!"

I lunged forward to bite Darkmist's neck, but just dodged in time to receive his hooves slicing down my hip. I clenched my teeth to keep back a scream. And then I snaked my head around and bit his wing pulling him hard to the ground. Darkmist bucked at my withers, making my leg buckle. I tumbled to the ground and rolled toward him, kicking blindly as hard as I could. The palomino colt stretched out his neck and took a hold of my mane lifting me up, my hooves dangling. I bucked, slicing his chest open. Darkmist gasped, astonished, I had sharpened my hooves! In anger, he flung me to the ground. I lay there, helpless.

"I guess you have fought for nothing, Mintblizzard," He hissed, "Oakwind is mine!" At that he reared, about to give an over-stallion's death-blow. I shut my eyes, I won't let this happen, I thought, I won't, I can't! I opened my eyes and rolled in a flash right into Darkmist's legs, knocking him over completely. He landed with a grunt, too stunned to do anything.

I leaped onto my legs, standing; I glanced at Oakwind, the pinto colt was in a crumpled heap. His black mane was missing chunks, and his wings were battered, feathers torn out by his roots; and one of them were broken. Sudden over-whelming anger exploded in my heart. My rage over-powered and flooded into my mind. I reared over Darkmist, he looked up, fear shown in his eyes before they closed. My hooves fell down, and the sickening crunch echoed throughout the forest.

I stepped away, not knowing what I had done; Darkmist's blood pooled into the grass, and stained my hooves. He was dead, life left from his cream-colored face, and I had killed him. I was a murderer.