Sunset in the gods

by red-sun

Act II – Fallen Gods – Chapter 10

“Sorry for the mess but I don't usually have many visitors.” Although the house was too old, it was evident that it was sturdy and the interior was decently maintained. “I have some tea, or would you prefer cider?” Apple Bloom asks her visitors.

"Don't worry. She is my Master Diamond Tiara and my name is Silver Spoon, I am a humble servant.” The two bow in greeting.

“Thank you very much for the invitation to your home.” Diamond Tiara says.

“This is not my home, my grandparents and I found this abandoned house and we simply moved in, we wanted to leave later but my grandparents' health began to fail.”

“Those two graves in the patio?” Diamond Tiarara asked.

“Grand Pear and Granny Smith.” Apple Bloom responded sadly. But he notices that his guests also get a little sad. “Sorry for spoiling the atmosphere.”

“Don't worry, I shouldn't have asked.”

“And you two, why did you go so deep into the forest?”

“We were escaping from a group of bandits, but you don't have to worry, they stopped following us for a while.” Silver Spoon responded.

“The bandits must be dead.” And Applebloom noticed how disconcerted his two guests were. “This is a bit sudden but... Do you think it's possible for humans to talk to animals?”

"That? Why do you ask us?”

“I thought that since they were traveling it was possible that they heard stories or rumors.”

“That would be impossible.” Diamond Tiara responded. “Unless he is a god of the faction of the earth who are the only ones who can. Maybe there are animals that are a little more intelligent than average or humans that can understand animals a little, but I don't think it's possible to talk between humans and animals."

Apple Bloom smiles sadly. “Near this there is a huge wolf that can easily talk to humans.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon start laughing at what Apple Bloom told them. Then they notice that Apple Bloom stops smiling.

“Let's not talk about that anymore. Excuse me for mentioning that silly story.”

Diamond Tiara realizes that Apple Bloom was serious. “Sorry for the lack of respect, could you please explain to us about the wolf?”

“Don't worry... like I said it's just a silly story.”

“'Aura of materialization'”. Diamond Tiara materialisa chakram. "My father is one of the few aura masters who were forgiven during the purge, in the future I will also be an aura master even though I am barely an apprentice, do not underestimate what I decide to believe or not."

---

I met him about a year ago. My sister and brother had been turned into slaves, after I found out that they were sent to work in the mines, I and my grandparents thought we would never see them again until we heard rumors of an escape.

“Grandpa Pear. “Are you sure we should continue down this path?”

“I'm old but I'm not decrepit! If I say that the trail continues through the forest, it is because it is through the forest!” An old man says that he is riding a horse.

“But we only took this road because you and grandma said you had a hunch after seeing the footprints in that abandoned settlement.”

“Correct, I said which trail would lead us to find your brothers and thanks to Granny Smith we are doubly sure.”

“If you say so... Grandma, you look tired, maybe we should stop so you can rest?”

“Of course I'm not tired, but it's getting dark and we have to camp.” Then Granny Smith sees an abandoned cabin. “Look over there! Surely the owners of the house will let us stay tonight.”

When the three approach the house and knock on the door, they begin to notice that the house was empty. “Let's go in anyway, you can see that the place has been abandoned for a long time.” Then Applebloom and Grand Pear break down the door.

“I'm not going to repair that.” Granny Smith said as he examined the rest of the house. “The fireplace looks in good condition, I think I can light it to make a decent dinner.”

That was the first night in a long time that we ate and slept inside a cabin, I felt happy to have to eat at a table with my grandparents and although the beds were not very comfortable at least it was better than sleeping on the floor, but the next day.

"Grandmother! Grandmother!". Apple Bloom screams through tears.

"What's going on!"

“Grandpa doesn't wake up!!”

I never knew how it happened. Was he sick and we didn't know it? He was hurt and he didn't want to tell us? Or was he just very old? It was all he could think about as he dug the grave for Grandpa Pear. And then I met him.

Apple Bloom sees a huge wolf approaching, the wolf looked old, it had black fur and it was obvious that its body was full of scars. The girl didn't know what to do because she was scared and too tired to run, at that moment she only thought of one thing.

"Dad are you! We have finally found you!” Apple Bloom shouted. “You are my father who was cursed and transformed into a wolf! “My grandmother and I have been looking for you non-stop.”

It was complete nonsense of course. In my family we always stood for truth and honesty... but I was scared and I was barely thinking clearly... or to be precise I was not thinking clearly and I told that lie without thinking twice.

The huge wolf stared at the girl who looks desperate and scared and for a moment it seemed like he was thinking about something and then...

“Mother, is she in good health, daughter?”

Since that day the wolf brought us food, sometimes a wild boar, other times he brought us a deer, the wolf took care of us as if we were really his family and without us realizing it, time passed.

Apple Bloom watched how it was snowing in the forest. “Grandma, is it normal for it to snow this time of year?”

“Of course not, when the gods give blessings, they improve the weather in certain areas, but this causes the weather in other places to go crazy and get weird.” Granny Smith said.

“Grandma, please go to bed, you haven't been in good health for some time, you need to rest.”

"I will rest when I die, besides we still have to find your brothers, so we will be leaving after the snow melts."

Time continues to pass and the wolf kept bringing us food, but I noticed a lonely look in his eyes, I felt bad for continuing to be afraid of him... and for continuing to lie.

“Can I accompany you? I need to collect some plants for grandma’s medicine.”

The wolf seems to think about Apple Bloom's request. “Stay close to me, you could get lost in the forest.”

After a whole afternoon the wolf and Apple Bloom return to the cabin, before Apple Bloom enters the cabin she looks at the wolf nervously. “Thank you for letting me accompany you... dad.” And quickly the girl enters the house.

I started accompanying him whenever I could, I enjoyed every walk we had together and every time I called him dad it felt less like a lie.

“Come grandmother! Why don’t you want to see dad?” Apple Bloom asked as she tried to get Granny Smith to leave the cabin.

"You know very well that I don't like to lie, I still believe that we should tell him the truth. Also, why do you think the wolf believed you?" Granny Smith asked.

But Applebloom ignores what his grandmother says about him. “Look, here it comes! This way dad!” Applebloom calls to the wolf. “Grandma, please try to be polite.”

“My granddaughter tells me to be polite? I’m definitely getting too old.” Then Granny Smith looks at the wolf who was standing in front of the cabin.

The wolf had doubts at first but he greeted her. “How are you feeling, mother?” You could notice the nervousness in the wolf's voice.

After a short moment of silence Granny Smith smiles and answers. “I can finally see you again son.”

I never knew why Grandma decided not to tell him the truth. She and dad spent the entire afternoon together talking and laughing, although I never knew what they were talking about, it always seemed to improve her mood but... but those days couldn't last forever.

“Grandma, I brought you more medicine, dad says that this plant is very effective in relieving pain…”

“Applebloom... how long have we been here?” Granny Smith asked his granddaughter.

“Almost a year, grandma.”

“I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you to look for your brothers.”

"Don't say that grandma, you will recover and then you and dad can go look for...". Apple Bloom remained silent after realizing what she was saying.

“Apple Bloom, he is not your father, we can't keep lying to the wolf. We must tell him to stop working so hard, tell him to return to nature and live his own life... we must tell him that we are not his family.”

---

“It's only been two weeks since I buried grandma and dad is still crying over her death.” Tears began to come out in the girl's eyes. “And I still haven't dared to tell her the truth...what do you think she should do?” She asked Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who listened attentively to the story.

“Don't tell him the truth.” Diamond Tiara says. “If what you say is true, then your lie has become too big, if you tell the truth the wolf may want to kill you or at best it will just abandon you. But if you keep the lie, that wolf 'will belong to you.'"

Apple Bloom quickly stands up and opens the door to the cabin. "Get out of here! How can you...?!". The girl's screams stop when an arrow hits her shoulder.

“Silver Spoon!” Diamond Tiara shouts.

“Right away Master!” Silver Spoon responds as she runs to pick up the injured girl while Diamond Tiara quickly closes the door.

“We know you are there!!” Shout someone. "We were originally thinking about killing you because you killed some of my subordinates but we know that one of you belongs to a wealthy family, if we capture you we can ask for a large ransom."

“They must be the bandits we ran into and apparently they searched our tent so they know who we are... Silver Spoon, how is Apple Bloom?!”

“The arrow did not go through the shoulder, if I remove the arrow it could cause bleeding!” Silver Spoon responded as he tended to the injured girl.

“Okay, let's make sure she doesn't die.” She says as she looks out the window to see the situation. "I can count about fifteen bandits, there may be more and since we don't have the surprise factor I don't think we can confront them."

Apple Bloom tried to speak despite the pain caused by her injury.

"Please don't talk." Silver Spoon tries to calm Apple Bloom. "Master Tiara, she looks like she's in shock!"

Apple Bloom was losing consciousness but before she lost consciousness she heard the loud howl of a wolf.

---

Apple Bloom was waking up in bed and had noticed that her arm was bandaged. "What happened?".

“The bandits who were chasing us found us and wounded you, you have been unconscious for almost two days.” Diamond Tiara tells him, she was sitting in a chair next to the bed. “They had us surrounded but the wolf attacked the bandits and saved us.”

“How is Dad?” Apple Bloom asked but he got no answer. "Because you do not answer?". She quickly gets out of bed despite the pain of her wound and begins searching throughout the cabin until she enters a room where she found the wolf that was injured.

“When the fight ended the wolf had lost too much blood. Silver Spoon knows some medicine but he couldn't do much...". Diamond Tiara watched as Apple Bloom hugged the wolf and cried.

“Sorry, sorry for making you have to take care of me and grandma!” Apple Bloom couldn't stop crying.

"Do not worry daughter. Besides, what kind of father wouldn't protect his family?” The wounded wolf said.

Apple Bloom felt happy and hurt by the wolf's words. “There is something you should know.” Apple Bloom mustered up the courage to say the next words. “The truth is that I... and grandma are not...”.

"I know". The wolf responded before the girl finished speaking. "I always knew it".

“But…but how?” She asked bewilderedly.

The wolf laughs weakly despite his wounds. “I am a wolf that can talk to humans. How silly do you think I am?”

“Why did you take care of us if you knew the truth?”

"I'm an old wolf, maybe too old, when I saw you burying your grandfather I noticed the glassy look in your eyes, I thought that maybe a little scare would cheer up the human who lost hope of living, so I just got close enough so you could see me. Of all the reactions I expected you to call me 'dad', it was something I never expected. At first it was a whim but as time progressed and we spent it together whether it was walking in the forest and teaching about plants to a little girl who saw me as a father or a simple conversation with a nice old lady who considered me a son... ”. Then the wolf growls in pain.

“Please don't talk too much, you're still hurt.” Apple Bloom says worriedly.

“I don't think I have much time left. When you feel better, you will have to go south, I found a trail with a smell similar to yours... you still have a real family, remember that you told me that you have to find your brothers. I gave the directions to one of our visitors, apparently she is a good tracker.”

“I will look for them, I will find them and I will tell them about you.”

“Thank you, daughter…” The wolf said as he narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll miss you dad.”

---

“How is your arm?” Silver Spoon asked.

“Better, I don't think I have travel problems.

“Just try not to slow us down too much.” Diamond Tiara said.

“Hey, we Apples always heal quickly.” Applebloom said proudly.

"I hope so. Silver Spoon, are the horses ready?”

“Everything is ready, we have enough food for two or three weeks.”

“Apple Bloom, haven't you forgotten anything?”

Apple Bloom looks at the old cabin and then looks at the three graves in the yard. “No, I haven't forgotten anything, we can go now.”