//------------------------------// // Temptations Of An Orphan // Story: Blood Moon // by Zanem-Ji //------------------------------// Applejack’s eyes snapped open before she shot up into a defensive stance. Her eyes studied her surroundings, realizing that she was in the middle of an open field. The moon reflected the sun as it bathed the other side of the world, but it seemed…off. As if Applejack could reach up and brush her hoof across the celestial rock. She took a couple tentative steps before a hoof touched warm fur. She looked down and gasped, “Dash!” The cyan Pegasus was sprawled out, her wings shielding an slumbering Fluttershy. She gently tapped them with her hoof. “Dash, Shy…wake up sugarcubes…” Dash let out a sleep-laden yawn as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She slowly rose to her hooves and instinctively reached out to help her fellow Pegasus, who thanked her with a kind smile. They both looked around in confusion at their surroundings. “Where the hell are we?” Dash questioned. “And…how did we end up outside? “Ah don’t really know…” Applejack replied as she continued to look around. “It don’t look like anywhere near Ponyville…” “Its not the Everfree Forest either…” Fluttershy added. “That’s because its not a place that you dear ponies would not know…” a slightly distorted mare’s voice softly replied from behind them. The three mares spun around to find a towering cloaked figure looking at them. They jumped back, Applejack immediately returning to a defensive posture, and Dash following as she splayed a wing out protectively in front of Fluttershy. “Who are ya, and what do ya want with us?!” Applejack snarled. “Fear not, my little ponies…I come to bring peace to you…” Dash took another step to completely block Fluttershy from any attack, “We don’t need anything from you!” “You are right. I have nothing to give you that you need. But…I wish to offer you something that I know you want. The trio briefly looked at one another in confusion, as if any of them could provide the others with an answer to this situation. Applejack took a step forward, “Before ya uh…tell us what we ‘want’, can ya tell us where we are?” The hooded mare focused her gaze on her, “You are in the realm where you neither live, nor die. Where the soul has time to rest…” “P-Purgatory?!” Dash asked in a panicked tone. “Are we dead?!” “Wait…” Fluttershy started. “A dream…” The figure nodded, “Quite perceptive of you, my dear Fluttershy…” “Now wait, how do you know her name?” The protective tone quickly replaced Dash’s previous one. “Your parents speak highly of you…all of you, every time I have the pleasure of talking to them.” The figure calmly replied. “How dare ya…” Applejack whispered as her body angrily trembled. “Ya got some fuckin’ nerve tah speak about our dead parents!” Fluttershy felt tears pricking the edges of her eyes. Dash wrapped a wing around her and leered up at the figure, “Who the hell do you think you are?!” “I only speak the truth…” the figure took a step closer to them, “I only have but one question to ask of you all…” “What could you possibly want to ask us?!” Dash snarled. The mare turned away from them and took a couple steps away, “I have the ability to let you see your parents again…do you accept this gift?” The ponies’ eyes widened. Dash’s anger flared once more, “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO-” Applejack placed a hoof on the Wonderbolt’s shoulder, silencing her. Dash looked over at her, noticing Applejack’s emerald orb’s flashing with a bolt of lime green light. “She…she ain’t lyin’.” Applejack started. “Ah…Ah don’t know how she’s gonna do it, but she’s speakin’ truth…” she took a couple steps closer to the figured, “Just who are ya?” “I am the Guider of the Lost and the Wandering. A bringer of peace to all who seek it after being beaten and broken by what comes from walking amongst the Sands of Time.” The figure replied. “I can sense a great and deep sorrow from you three, something that you dare not show to your other friends. How could you? They simply cannot understand what suffering you three endure from your situation. For only you three…amongst your group could find solace and understanding in each other’s pain…I wish to end that for you.” “So…you can take us to your parents?” Dash questioned again. This was an offer that was too good to be true. Guider only nodded in response. She glanced over her shoulder, gazing off at something in the distance. The trio followed her gaze. There were six silhouettes of ponies standing near the horizon. The six ponies turned and began to gallop towards them. Four took off into the sky and zoomed towards the trio. They landed near Guider. Dash and Fluttershy gasped in synchrony. A pink Pegasus mare trotted towards Dash, her striking blue mane and tail billowing in a gentle breeze. As she got closer, Dash could make out the blue lightning bolt on her thighs. There was no mistaking it. The legendary Firefly…Rainbow Dash’s mother. A purple stallion with a brilliant prismatic mane and tail stood proudly beside her mother. Dash beamed at him, who mirrored gesture in kind. Rainbow Burst…Rainbow Dash’s father. Dash squealed as her inner filly came to the surface, and tackled her father into the grass. He chuckled as he ruffled her mane, “Hey there Squirt!” Burst shouted with a rasped voice that Dash missed all too much. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen you!” Dash nuzzled into her father’s chest, “Dad…” was all she could get out with the boulder of her lump in her throat. Burst didn’t need her to finish. “I missed you too…” Firefly giggled, “My two favorite ponies in all of Equestria are finally back together. Dashie…” she looked lovingly into her daughter’s eyes, “You’ve gotten so big, and so strong…” Dash grinned, “I also became a Wonderbolt, just like Dad!” “I knew you could do it! That’s my girl!” Burst cheered with the same mannerisms that her daughter inherited from him. Firefly got closer and embraced her daughter and husband. Fluttershy looked on at the happy reunion with tears in her eyes. She turned away and got ready to wipe her tears, only to feel a hoof gently remove them for her. “My gentle girl…heart still as big as it ever was…” a mare’s voice whispered. She opened her eyes. A white Pegasus with a pink mane and tail that matched Fluttershy’s in their brilliance, was smiling softly at her. Kind teal eyes that mirrored her own looked lovingly at her. The equally loving voice brought forth pure joy. Gentle Wind…Fluttershy’s mother. “Mom?” a cracked whisper escaped Fluttershy’s throat. Fresh tears sprung from her eyes. Gentle nodded, solidifying that this wasn’t her imagination. Fluttershy broke down, clinging to her mother like nothing else mattered. “Hey! What about your dear old Dad?!” a voice boomed behind her. Fluttershy didn’t flinch. This was the one loud thing in the world that she not only did not fear, but welcomed with an infinite love. His voice. A voice that, though she hadn’t heard in many years, made her near split her face with a smile. She looked over her shoulder. A bold yellow Pegasus stallion stood behind her. Much larger than the average stallion, his stature almost rivaled that of Bulk Biceps. He sported an equally firey mane and tale, and pearly whites appeared in a smile from his thick beard and mustache. He kissed her forehead, the thick tufts of her tickling her and making her giggle. She looked at him and smiled, “Daddy…” There was no doubt. ‘Daddy’, was Thunder Soar’, another legendary Wonderbolt, and Fluttershy’s father. “I swear, you’re the loudest thing to exist!” Burst stated annoyingly. The two older mares giggled as Thunder stomped a heavy hoof, “YUP! THE LOUDEST, AND THE FASTEST WONDERBOLT WHO EVER LIVED!” Burst rolled his eyes and looked at Fluttershy, “He’s just saying that because he won a single race against me…” “That STILL makes me the fastest Wonderbolt!” “Now now boys…” Gentle laughed as she held up a hoof. “There will be plenty of time for that later.” She looked over at Dash, stretching out a wing to touch her shoulder with a love as she were her own daughter, “Let’s just enjoy being with our little ones…” “They ain’t so lil’ anymore, Gentle.” A stallion’s voice drawled out, catching Applejack’s undivided attention. A strong looking dark-yellow Earth Pony slowly made his way towards her. His dusted red mane was in a short ponytail, with an equally short red tuft of a tail flicked side to side. Applejack took off her Stetson hat and tears started to flow. The stallion stopped in front of her. She looked at his cutie mark. She had to be sure. No doubting it. This was Earligold, Applejack’s father. She started to hand the hat to him. Earligold shook his head. “Ah gave it to ya, knowin’ it would be in good hooves.” “Ah…Ah remember, Pa.” Applejack choked out. “Then why in tarnation are ya tryna give it back?” he briefly studied the hat, “Do ya not like it? Ah know it’s a lil’ worse fer wear, but-” “No!” Applejack blurted. “Ah LOVE this thing!” “Now ya leave that girl alone, ya hear Earl? She’s happy ta see ya, so don’t be worryin’ about that damn hat!” a strong mare’s voice shouted out. Applejack looked beyond Earl’s shoulder to see a beautiful and toned dark red mare strutting over to them. Her golden mane and tail were tied up in thick braided cord. Her amber colored eyes focused on Applejack, and she gave her a motherly smile. “My my…my lil’ sugarcube has really grown into a powerful lookin’ Earth Pony…” Her voice was like the sweetest apple that could’ve ever been grown in their orchard. Applejack smiled at it’s familiarity. Ambrosia, Applejack’s mother. The orange farmpony broke down with happy tears as Ambrosia and Earl wrapped their forelegs around her shuddering form. Guider looked on, letting the three mares reunite with their parents. The moon seemed even closer to the group, signaling the passage the time as they conversed on missed events, ranging from their world saving actions, to the tiniest details of their daily lives. Guider eventually called out to them, “Come, my children. It is time for us to return home…” “Aw shoot…an’ Ah was just gettin’ ta hear how amazin’ my lil’ one had become…” Earl got up, “C’mon Am, time ta head on outta here…” Ambrosia nodded, kissed Applejack’s forehead, and rose to follow Earl. Firefly nuzzled Dash’s muzzle, “My little one, continue to adhere to your morals. The Element of Loyalty chose you for a reason…never forget to always be the real you…” Dash nodded as her parents began to pull away from her. “Hey Dash!” Thunder boomed out. Dash turned to him, “I couldn’t have thought of a better partner for my daughter…” his voice softened, more than it ever had in his life, “You keep her safe, okay?” Dash smiled and eagerly nodded. Gentle walked up to her and leaned in close, “Don’t just protect her, Rainbow Dash.” Gentle whispered. “Love her with the same intensity that I can clearly see she has for you.” The alabaster mare lightly shook her head, “Oh, what am I saying…I know you will…” She walked past the Wonderbolt, being the last to join the parental group. Guider backed away from the trio, “I cannot wait to call you my children as well…” With that, she turned and started to gallop. The parents followed as well. Guider’s cloak briefly flew up as she splayed her wings to take flight. The younger ponies squinted to try and see who she was, but it was as if a deep blackness coated her body, obscuring any chance of identifying her. The four Pegasi snapped open their wings and took flight as well. The two Earth Ponies started to glow and started floating with the group. Applejack started to slightly shake her head, “No…” Her parents were getting further. “Ah can’t lose ‘em again…” She started trotting towards the flying group, ignoring Dash’s question as to where she was going. “AH CAN’T LOSE ‘EM AGAIN!!” She broke into a furious gallop. Dash and Fluttershy screamed for her to stop, but she pressed on. Guider turned to her and stopped, “If you wish to join me…” she opened her forelegs, welcoming Applejack to her, “Then come…” A light started to surround her body. She felt like she was as light as a feather. “Come with me, my child…” She smiled. She was almost with her Ma and Pa again. Guider reached out to her. “APPLEJACK, NOOO!!” Applejack felt something hit her with the force of being struck by a dragon. A jolt tore through her body and the air was sucked from her lungs, as her world faded into blackness.