Blaze's Backstory

   When Blaze Runner was an older filly bordering on a young mare living in fillydelphia she always felt like there was something she was missing out on, she could never put her hoof on it though. She tried helping her mom garden at her shop but she found it too boring where she may even doze off. She would even occasionally help her father sweep the streets of Fillydelphia, but it was just as boring as gardening. 

   One day It was announced that the Equestria games were coming to Fillydelphia, Blaze was so excited hearing about it because it was something new and sounded thrilling. She begged her parents if they could go to see it but her parents did not have enough bits to afford the family to go. Blaze was crushed that she could not go to the games and rushed off to her room to cry by herself. 

   A few days went by until it was the day of the Equestria games and Blaze was awoken by the sound of her father knocking on the door. She opened it looking up at him, he then held up a piece of paper. "What is that?" She asked, her eyes fixating on the paper as she tried to blink to clear the overcast on her eyes from sleeping.

   "Your mother and I talked it over, even though we can't all go together we think you are old enough to go to the Equestria games on your own." He said with a smile as he held out the ticket to Blaze. 

   Blaze's eyes open wide in an instant as she snatched the ticket between her hooves feeling so excited she'd be able to see the games. She swung her front legs around her father's neck hugging him tight accidentally dropping the ticket. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you." She repeated rapidly almost forgetting to take a breath. She released her father and her hooves pattered on the floor as she trot back into her room. Blaze threw a saddle back over her back and didn't even bother to do her hair she was so excited to see the games. As she turned back to the doorway of her room she saw her father still standing there holding a ticket in his hoof. “Wait do you have another ticket?” 

   He shook his head. “No, you dropped you're ticket. Make sure to keep track of it, it wasn't cheap.” He said holding it back out to her. “Otherwise you should hurry up, the games start soon and you may even be able to see the royal sisters at the games.” 

   Blaze blushed that she had so recklessly dropped the ticket and forgot about it, she took it from her father putting it inside her saddle bag before kissing her father's cheek. “Thank you again.” She said before making her way out of her room and into the living room where her mother was sitting on the couch knitting. “Thank you mom.”

   Her mother waved a hoof at Blaze with a smile. “You're welcome sweetie, now go have fun at the games and be careful.” She chirped as she continued her knit work.

   Blaze left their home shutting the door behind her, inside Blaze's father rejoined her mother. “I wish we could of easily afforded that ticket, maybe even enough for all of us.” Blaze's mother said smiling at the door before turning to her husband. “We won't have much left.” 

   “Yeah but it was worth every bit to see Blaze that excited, which we haven't seen for a long time.” Blaze's father admitted. “We'll just have to do a little extra work.”

   Meanwhile Blaze was galloping as fast as she could toward the Stadium where they would be holding the games. “I can't believe I get to see the games, I'm so excited!” She exclaimed realizing how every pony along the streets could hear her. She sunk in her lips in an attempt to remind her to keep quiet. 

   She soon reached the Fillydelphia Stadium where she could hear the crowd inside cheering while the front entrance had only the attendant pony, clearly the games were already under way. Blaze scampered up to the attendant stand and excitedly pulled out her ticket and gave it to the stallion at the stand. “Alright go on in, enjoy the games.” He said gesturing his hoof to the side.

   Blaze went through the entrance with a large smile of anticipation, hearing the cheering of such a loud crowd got her heart beating, her excitement only continued through the dim corridor until she stepped through the exit and was met with the bright light of the sun shining over the open Stadium. She could see ponies filled the stands to their fullest as her eyes readjusted to the light, she walked up to the barrier overlooking the field and could see several ponies below with bows in front of them and they were firing arrows made of ice at targets several dozen yards in front of them, as the arrows impacted the targets they would encase the target in ice. “So cool.” She cooed as her tail swished side to side as she leaned on the barrier. 

   Soon the archery event was over and with it the ponies were leaving the field with their equipment. While several more were coming onto the field but staying on the track on the outside perimeter of the field, they had shoes on the bottom of their legs with wheels on them. Blaze's interest was peaked and she leaned over the barrier more. The six ponies on the field all line up on the track leaning forward ready to begin their race. Suddenly a loud booming voice cut through the cheering that filled the stadium. “Next up we have the roller skating race.” The announcer stated before the stadium erupted in applause again.

  Soon a horn then rang out through the stadium and the ponies on the field begun their race pushing off with with their hind legs. They begun moving across the track slowly gaining more and more speed. Blaze meanwhile leaned on the barrier more excited at see these ponies. “They're all earth ponies but they're going so fast.” She exclaimed as she took in the cheering of the crowds for those racing. “I want this, I want to have a crowd cheering for me.”

   The Announcer came back, his amplified voice cutting through the loud murmur of the stadium. “Ring Runner making her Equestria games debut has taken the lead!” 

   Blaze's eyes locked onto the mare out front. “Ring Runner?” She said getting a good look at her as she passed in front of Blaze. “She's so cool!” 

   Hours passed until the games were over and Blaze was making her leave through the stadium until a merchandise stand caught her eye. She walked over to it and saw a lot of posters, mugs, along with various other items, when she saw at the end of the table she saw a set of roller skates. She hopped over to that side of the table to look at them, they had the colors of the games on them. However when she looked at the tag on them she saw they were far too expensive. “Oh...” She sighed with a tinge of animosity.

   Blaze begun walking through the crowds of ponies, weaving in and out of the crowds. She looked back at the stand and sighed, only to turn her head forward with a sigh and dropped it looking at the ground. Soon after she bumped into somepony, Blaze looked at their hooves which were a light teal in color. “I'm sorry about...” She begun until she got a look at who she bumped into, it was ring runner with two of her team members behind her. “Ri... R... Ring...”

   Ring Runner rose a hoof to her mouth to conceal her snickering at the young pony's reaction. “Yeah it's me Ring Runner. So what's up why so sad, did you not enjoy the games?” She asked smiling at the young mare.

   “N... No it's not that... the games were awesome especially you.” Blaze praised glancing back at the stand behind her for a second. “It's just I wanted a set of roller skates after seeing you race but the ones here are just too expensive.” 

   Ring Runner snickered again. “Is that all?” She questioned grabbing the set of skates hanging off her neck by their laces. “Here.” 

   Ring Runner held out the skates toward Blaze. “Are... Are you sure... I can have these? I don't have any bits to give you.” Blaze said looking up at Ring Runner with big eyes.

   Ring Runner laughed again and shifted them again. “Of course, as a pro racer I have tons of these things lying around, between you and me I don't even use the set twice to avoid any major wear. I know they'll be a little big but you'll grow into them.” She said hanging them around Blaze's neck. “So why not give them to another pony who will someday see me in the games in the future as a competitor. So work hard and maybe I'll see you again squirt.”

   Ring Runner ruffled Blazes hair before continuing into the crowds while Blaze was still in shock after meeting who was now her hero. She gasped at now having roller blades let alone from Ring Runner. She ran out of the stadium and once she was on flat ground she took the skates off her neck and untied the laces from one another. She then sat down and began sliding the skates onto her hooves trying to tie them as tight as she could. “They are a bit too big...” Blaze said to herself.

   The young mare stood up after all the skates were secured on her hooves and her legs were shaking as she was trying to keep the skates from rolling outward in opposite directions. “So how did they do this?” She asked herself as she tried moving her feet like those racing earlier. Pushing with one foot then another she shakily rolled forward several feet before she lost track of her feet which caused her feet to slide out from each other letting her chest almost hit the ground. She huffed in frustration as she corrected herself and stood back up only to have her legs rolling outward again as she struggled to keep herself standing. “This is so annoying!”

   Blaze kept struggling to stay standing until she finally dropped her flank on the ground in frustration and took off the skates. “I don't know why I thought this was a good idea.” She said to herself before beginning to walk home.

   As she got home her mother was there to greet her. “Welcome home sweetie, how were the games?” She questioned with a big smile.

   “They were great...” She snarled still frustrated with the skates as she marched into her room.

   Her mother knocked on her door worried about her daughter. “Are you okay sweetheart? What's wrong?” She questioned.

   “One of the racers gave me their skates and they just don't work for me, I keep falling!” Blaze shouted through the closed door. 

   “Is that it? Sweetheart you can't expect to pick it up on the spot it takes practice. Plus if they are from one of the racers they are probably too big for you, bring them out here and I might be able to bring them in so they fit you better.” She suggested only to see the door open in front of her.

   Blaze looked up at her mother. “Can you really?” She asked carrying the skates with her.

   “I can certainly try, because there's nothing wrong with trying.” She chimed with a smile trying to teach her daughter that trying is always a good idea.

   Blaze gave her skates to her mother and followed her into the living room where her sewing machine was set up. Her mother sat herself down in front of the machine and carefully begun winding thread through the machine. She laid the skates on the work space of the sewing machine as her hind hoof compressed a pedal under the table causing the needle to begin pumping up and down. The needle then begun piercing the cloth of the skates running the thread through it pulling the folded fabric together as it was guided by a careful hoof.

   It didn't take long for Blaze's mother to finish bringing in the skates, she gave them over to Blaze with a smile. “Now try them out, you should have an easier time. Just remember to keep trying, some things need practice.” She said kindly.

   Blaze smiled up at her and set the skates over her neck. “Thanks mom,” She chirped before dashing out the front door.

   The young mare put on her skates once she was outside her home and tightened the laces. She could tell a definite difference from the previous time she had put them on. She stood up on them and had a much easier time balancing. Blaze pushed off the ground carefully and begun rolling forward occasionally kicking a leg to push herself across the ground. As she got more comfortable she begun pushing herself more often increasing her speed as she glided across the sidewalk. She had one destination in mind as she enjoyed the wind rushing through her mane with a large smile spread across her face.

   She soon reached the local skate park where several other young ponies were enjoying the park, a few were riding scooters while the rest were skating on roller skates. She rolled up to the skate park and watched the others skating for a minute before rolling onto the smooth concrete herself. Blaze begun skating through the park seeing the other ponies going up the ramps doing simple tricks, her eyes were locked on one of the larger ramps, she wanted to try her luck at it. 

   Blaze begun picking up more speed as the make a full circle around the ramp until she was coming at the ramp head on. She was smiling confidently as she approached it though as her skates begun to climb the incline she failed to shift her weight and crashed into the ramp bouncing off of it only to roll off onto the ground to the side of it. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she tried getting back up. A young gray stallion with a light blue mane rolled up to her. “Are you okay?” He asked holding a hoof out to her.

   Blaze got up on her own refusing his help. “I'm fine.” She snarled clearly upset at her failed attempt.

   “You know if you're going to approach a ramp you need to shift your weight as you get on it.” The stallion said skating around her and circled back to head for the ramp. “Like this.” His skates hit the ramp and he lowered his body slightly as he begun to make his way up it. He then pushed off the ramp as he reached the top and sailed through the air a small ways until he landed on the ground rolling back toward Blaze. “See?”

   “Whatever...” Blaze said still feeling salty after falling over the ramp. But she begun skating again building up speed and approached the ramp once more. Her skates hit it and this time she imitated what the stallion had showed her, she lower her body up the incline and managed to reached the top and pushed off. She flew through the air feeling a new sense of excitement before touching down on the ground almost losing her balance as she came to a stop. “I did it!” She said smiling as she looked behind her only to see the stallion smiling at her success. Her cheeks turned red again as she snapped her head forward before beginning to skate again.

   This time Blaze did a lap around the park before coming back to the ramp, she begun approaching it again quickly. She rode up it really quick and flew off of it this time she did a full spin in the air. She managed to land it properly and rolled across the ground with a big smile on her face. She stopped when she could hear the young stallion calling to her. “Hey, that's awesome! Look at your flank!”

   She lifted her right leg a little as she turned her head back to look at her flank and there it was her cutie mark. “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed excitedly as she pattered her hooves on the concrete. “I need to show my mother.”

   With that Blaze raced out of the park reaching a new level of speed as she flew across the concrete with a big smile on her face.