A New Life for Bloodthirst

by NgKQ

Chapter 15

Later, Bloodthirst spent his afternoon with Sweet Potion and her friends at their clubhouse. He told them all what Maple Blossom suggested him.

“So you’re going to the rock farm?” asked Sonic Flash. “That sounds cool!”

“I’d wished I could go there, but for some reason,” added Novella Fantasy. “I feel the rock farm’s dangerous, and only somepony ‘daring’ can handle jobs at the rock farm. Mommy said so, too.”

“Yeah, you may have a point,” asserted Sweet Potion. “But there are light-duty jobs that you can to there, too. Y’all remember that magician Trixie? She worked there before! I remember auntie Applejack told me, she was complaining the entire job there!”

“Really?” pondered Bloodthirst. “I mean, have you ever worked there, Sweet Potion?”

“Nope, but my mom did once. Didn’t Auntie Applejack tell you she went to the rock farm during one Hearth’s Warming Eve?”

“Yeah, did she tell you her experiences?”

“Of course she did! Well, they nearly messed up everything, but at least, they all knew what was it to be like to live with the Pie Family.”

“You can actually try out the jobs they give you,” suggested Sonic. “Tough or not, perhaps Maple or Pepper Flake can guide you.”

“I’ll give it a shot,” said Bloodthirst, determined. “Though I don’t know what’s gonna be in store for me.”

“I’ve got high expectations on you!” shrilled Novella. “Just prove to me you can do it!”

On Saturday morning, Bloodthirst was already on the train bound towards the Pie Family rock farm. Travelling with him were Pepper Flake, Maple Blossom and Iron Granite.

“So, how you’re feeling?” asked Pepper cheerfully to Bloodthirst, who was looking outside. “First time visiting my family’s rock farm?”

“Don’t know what to say, but this is kinda complicated for me,” he replied. “If there’s any job they’re asking me to do I’m pretty nervous, since you’ve witnessed my superpony abilities that normal ponies can’t even do!”

“Oh, don’t worry!” calmed Pepper. “I’ll just talk to them. I’ll see what they can do!”

Iron Granite sat on the other side, looking at the scenery, too. At some times, he glanced across the walkway, looking at the strange pony his cousin was talking to.

“You still seem to feel suspicious on him, aren’t you?” Maple asked him, interrupting his daydream.

“Uh, well… sort of,” he admitted, not wanting Bloodthirst and Pepper to hear them. “J-just imagine he suddenly loses his sanity and come attack us!”

“Hush! He’s got self-control. He’ll never do that to us suddenly,” she replied. “Maybe you should get to know more about him.”

Iron only sat silently, still uneasy.

It wasn’t long until the train finally arrived at the rock farm. Waiting for them at the platform was Maud Pie’s only daughter Lapis Lazuli.

“Hello there, Pepper. Glad you’re here for the weekend,” greeted Lapis. “Oh, and Maple Blossom and Iron Granite, too.”

“Yup, and look who I brought along!” Pepper moved aside, revealing Bloodthirst.

“Oh, you’re Bloodthirst?” She walked up to him, shaking his hoof. “Pepper Flake’s been telling me all about you. How have you been learning in Ponyville so far?”

“Erm, it’s pretty fine, I suppose,” he replied embarrassingly. “Apart from some of my friendship lessons from Rarity I’ve been-”

“Dealing his relationship with Platinum Royale,” Pepper finished for him. “Baby steps, but it’ll go smooth eventually!”

“You sure think you aren’t exaggerating this too much, are you, Pepper?” asked Maple jokingly.

“Well, show us the way then,” resumed Pepper.

They walked all the way to the Pie Family house. There, at the door, a gray, light blue-haired stallion was waiting for them.

“Very well,” the stallion said. “Pretty right on time, as usual.”

“As you would always say, Big Couz,” replied Pepper.

“So today we’re going to… Wait a minute.” The stallion’s eyes turned towards Bloodthirst, with a stern look on his face. “Who are you? Like I’ve never seen you before.” He turned to Maple. “Is he an impostor?”

“Hey, you can’t call that to my buddy!” retorted Pepper in dismay.

Maple laughed. “He’s no impostor. He’s somepony who happens to be residing recently in Ponyville!” She introduced. “Bloodthirst, he’s Silicon Glass, the only son of Auntie Limestone Pie. He’s currently the helper to his mother at the rock farm.”

“As Maple Blossom says,” continued Silicon. “I’m the one who’s helping Mom to manage this area, especially the exports of the rocks and precious gems mined here. We’ve been handling this place with the help of my cousin Lapis Lazuli and my aunt Maud Pie ever since my grandparents retired many years ago, and my cousins and aunts who are living in Ponyville did contribute into helping my business.”

“Well uh… what do you guys usually do there?” Bloodthirst inquired.

“Do? Why, mine for rocks of course! Then every several days a train would arrive and help deliver and send our mined rocks and jewels all across Equestria. And this, is how you make business!”

“Most of our family’s income depends on mining rocks and gems,” Maple explained to him further. “Thankfully, with Pepper Flake and her mother helping in Sugarcube Corner and Iron Granite and I working at Sweet Apple Acres we are able to help and support, too.”

“Well then, since you’re not an impostor, as Maple Blossom says,” Silicon asked further. “Are you here to find a job to work with us?”

“Um, actually, I… only… wanted to work here for the weekend…”

“The weekend, eh?”

“As part of his friendship lessons!” answered Pepper. “And for a little experience.”

“Very well,” he responded. “Make sure you follow our basic rules here. Also, see that big boulder over there? It’s named Holder’s Bolder and this means a lot for our farm, so never, ever touch that.” He then glared at him with a menacing look. “UNDERSTAND?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Now follow us into the house, and my mother has a lot of explaining for you.”

Bloodthirst followed, and he was quickly introduced to the rest of the Pie Family.

“Hmm,” pondered Igneous Rock, scrutinizing him. “Not a really bad figure, as what my granddaughter described.”

“From the way you’re behaving, according to Pepper Flake’s words,” added Limestone Pie. “You seem to be… promising.”

Bloodthirst only remained silent. At some times he took glimpses at Silicon Glass, whom he seemed to act harshly on him. It reminded him of his old nemesis back at Sugarcube Corner. Does he have a dislike to vampire ponies, too?

“Alright,” said Limestone Pie to the group. “Today we are doing on our usual mining. Get your pickaxes, shovels and sacks ready. I want you all to mine with your usual manners. Oh, and don’t forget your helmets!”

Bloodthirst followed everypony to the closet, where all mining equipment were stored. He waited until they all gathered their equipments, then he searched for his own. Fortunately, there were a few of them remaining. He took all of them and set for the door.

“Oh, you have these tools,” remarked Limestone when she saw him. “It’s a good thing I had an extra amount of them as spare ones. Just show me how you can work, okay? Silicon Glass is supervising you all.”

“Um… okay, Madam,” he replied meekly. For some reason, he didn’t have the heart to tell Limestone about his tough-body ability as a vampire pony.

“Do you think he’s gonna do well?” asked Maud Pie to Limestone as they watched him following the group.

“I’m sure he will,” Limestone replied. “You know, if Pepper Flake says he’s got a good heart, there’s a good chance he’ll show that.”

At the mining grounds, everyone was working hard mining the high-quality rocks. But Bloodthirst wasn’t appearing to be mining well. He feared that if he mined too hard in his own strength, he could break the pickaxe.

“Bloodthirst, are you alright?” asked Maple Blossom, who happened to be working right next to him. “You don’t seem to be mining hard enough.”

“I can’t show my real strength. I’ve been watched on by Silicon Glass. He thinks I’m an outcast,” he replied. “Can’t you see the way he looks and speaks to me?”

“Well, you’ve got to excuse him. Most of the time he’s just… grumpy.”

“Seriously?”

“Alright, halt your works for a moment. The train to deliver the rocks is here!” announced Silicon Glass suddenly. “We’ve got fifty sacks to send to them. No slacking!”

“What!? FIFTY!!?” moaned Pepper Flake, with a disgusted face.

“What do you think? All this large number accumulated while you’re busy at your business in Ponyville. Now face this!” he rebuked.

Very soon, everyone began delivering the sacks of rocks onto the train car. While each one of them carried one sack at a time, Iron Granite carried three.

“You there! Is one too heavy for you?” Silicon called to Bloodthirst.

“Um… no. I-I can lift them!” he stammered, and making use of his ability, he was able to lift four sacks at a time. As he walked by Silicon, his jaw dropped.

“What in Equestria…?” he thought as he watched him. “Somepony of that size shouldn’t be carrying that many! Has he taken steroids!?”

“Go, Bloodthirst, go!” cheered Pepper as he swept past them like a jet. Even Iron Granite himself was astonished! Just as he loaded the sacks into the car, he rushed back, carried another four and headed to the train, and he did this over and over until all the sacks have been loaded.

Even the train crew themselves could not believe their eyes.

“That’s everything?” the guard asked Silicon.

“Exactly. And it’s about another month again before you return for my next batch,” he smirked.

The crew, saying nothing, went back to the train and departed.

“Alright, folks, that’s all the job for the morning. We shall have a lunch break and afterwards, we’re gonna do some rock grinding. Is that clear?”

“Right!”

At the rock grinding spot, everyone was grinding rocks into fine sand using mortars on the site. Bloodthirst, as gentle as he could, ground the rocks firmly without exerting too much of his own strength, taking care not to break the pestle. At the same time, he needed to be wary of Silicon Glass, who at the time, would snap at him anytime if he displayed poorly.

He was glad when it was eventually time for dinner. He joined the others at the dining table, sitting between Pepper Flake and Maple Blossom. Iron Granite, who sat beside Maple, was glad to stay away from the pony he thought weird!

“Don’t worry, dude. Dinner’s almost served!” Pepper assured him.

“What would it be?”

Before anyone could answer, Maud Pie appeared, with a pot of soup and she began ladling it onto everypony’s bowls. To Bloodthirst’s surprise, the soup had bits of rock.

“Surprise! Rock soup, our family’s tradition!” Pepper said.

Bloodthirst said nothing. He just stared at his strange, unappetizing meal. Moreover, he took a glance at Silicon Glass, who was already drinking the soup. He must’ve thought, “Bet you couldn’t drink that!”, he thought to himself.

“Okay, stay cool, I’m gonna deal with this pathetic-looking rock,” thought Bloodthirst as he stared at the rock in the liquid. Using the tablespoon, he held the rock, took a deep breath, and gave it a huge crunch, which startled everyone. They watched as he drank the entire soup, gobbling the stones that were inside as well.

“Whoa,” gasped Lapis Lazuli. “Did you like it?”

“Nothing much to describe, but,” he replied calmly as he finished. “It’s acceptable.”

“Then how about some more?” Silicon Glass asked gleefully. The moment he ladled it onto Bloodthirst’s bowl, he drank it all again as well as crunching the rock. Silicon ladled it for the third time, and he drank it all with the contents again.

“Alright, I’m full now,” he remarked and he left the dining table to retire to his room, much to the shock of Silicon Glass.

“What kind of pony is he?” he asked in an astonishing manner.

“Special,” said Pepper Flake quickly before following suit.

Later that night, while everyone was nearly asleep, Bloodthirst was still awake, recalling the events that happened earlier that day. He seemed to feel himself that he acted rather awkward, though all the while Silicon Glass felt that there was nothing suspicious on him. He got up and looked around. Everypony seemed fast asleep. There must be somepony who could be still awake. But it couldn’t be the one he didn’t want to meet.

He looked downstairs. There seemed to be light at the dining room. He walked down quietly. To his surprise, it was Limestone Pie, sitting on the table jotting down things on her journal. She put down her pencil as if she sensed somepony nearby.

“Come here. I think you have something to say?” she asked.

Bloodthirst was frightened by a bit. But he bravely stepped forward, and as he came face to face with Limestone, he drew out a chair and sat.

“So your name is Bloodthirst?” Limestone asked. “Sorry if I couldn’t remember your name earlier. But from what I heard from Pepper Flake and Maple Blossom, you’re really nice with manners.”

“Yes, I’ve been exercising with them,” Bloodthirst replied, and told her all about his story.

“I see,” replied Limestone when he finished. “An interesting story you got here, though I feel some might find it disturbing. It’s a good thing, too that you’re showing your changes through friendship, like how I was when I was younger. I was a grumpy mare, learning to take responsibility for the rock farm. After so many incidents that come and go, I already learnt to be more sensible.”

“Well, yeah, but your son-”

“It’s alright. Just make do with him. He reminds me of my old self. I’m sure he’ll change, too, someday,” she said with an affable look.

“Okay… I feel silly to use my abilities on rock crushing and everything, and at the same time I’m feeling wary that Silicon Glass is watching me and he could lash at me anytime and he would fire me straight!”

“Well, he’s like that, grumpy, like my old self. He does that to Pepper Flake, too. He doesn’t seem to tolerate with her upbeat style. Well, you know you had a bored day and you want to cheer yourself and others. Perhaps he’ll get them someday.”

“Alright then,” he replied before leaving upstairs. “I’ll just try to behave well tomorrow. I just couldn’t let anypony whom they placed their trust on me down.”

“Good luck on that,” said Limestone. “I’m sure Silicon can see your true heart.”

Author's Note:

Finally back from my hiatus, ah well