MLP STORY BOOK: Collection Of One Shots and Short Stories

(This is Ember Flames)

It was a sunny day in Ponyville as Twilight and her friends took the young fillies Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo on a walk through the safer part of the forest to check out the plant life. Apple Bloom thought it would be an easy way to earn their cutie marks if they could be good at something to do with nature. “Oh come on!” Sweetie exclaimed as she dropped a leaf, “we’ve been out here for an hour and no mark has showed up for any of us”. All the the girls just looked at each other. “Well why don’t you three take a break and enjoy this here picnic basket I packed?” Applejack suggested pointing to a picnic blanket up the path a bit. “Oh good!” Apple Bloom chimed, “I’m starvin”.

“Me too” Scootaloo said as they trotted up the path. They ate and joked and Sweetie Belle even filled them in on her play and the story about what happened with her and Rarity. “Wow, wish we could have seen the play Sweetie” Twilight said. Suddenly a clap of thunder hit. “Welp, we better be getting on home, before it pours down” Applejack said as they packed up the picnic. As they trotted out of the forest, they didn’t see the pony watching them. “You’ve been studying ponies for a while, you can do this” she told herself, as she watched the group of ponies from the cave she lived in. The next morning She woke up and looked around at the pictures of ponies she had hanging on the walls. She spent every free moment she had since she ran, studying them. How they moved, talked, and even the colors of their coats, manes, and eyes.  The hardest part to study about the ponies were their marks. She knew their marks were a big part of them. They symbolized something they were excellent at. After thinking on it a bit she decided to make a campfire mark since she pretty much knew how to camp since hiding in the forest. She walked out into the forest and up to a small rain puddle. She looked at her reflection. Her gray coat and blonde mane worked well to bring out her yellow eyes. She looked back at the cave she called home for so many weeks and then headed toward the train station while it was still early. She waited until the first train arrived and pretended she was a passenger in the crowd. As she entered Ponyville the warm filling she’s known her whole life in spurts was severely strong. She had to use all her strength to fight the urge she has come to know as part of what she was. She walked around watching all the ponies around her and taking in the scenery. The scent of something faintly sweet got her nose. “What is that delicious smell?” she asked herself. “YEEHAW!” she heard somepony call. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge apple farm. As she walked up to it, she saw a light orange pony with a blonde mane running around bucking every tree that had apples on it. Applejack bucked one last tree and then sat for a rest. “Phew” she said as she wiped her brow, “I am so tired”. “I bet” a little red maned filly said running to the other pony with an apple juice box, “With Granny Smith away and Big Mac on bed rest for his sprained hoof, I don’t doubt it”.

“You never know how hard it is to tend to the orchid until you do it by yourself” the pony said standing up, “be nice to have another set of hooves around”. That’s what she took as her cue. “Excuse me!” she called walking up to the ponies, “I couldn’t help but, overhear you needed help”.

“Uh yeah” the orange pony said, “um do I know you?” the pony raised an eye to her as she asked.

“Oh no, I’m what you would call a drifter pony. My names Ember Flames” she said holding out her hoof.

“I’m Applejack” the pony said shaking her hoof harder than she expected, “and this here is my baby sister Apple Bloom” she said pointing to the red maned filly.

“It’s nice to meet you both. I’m new to Ponyville and am willing to work on the farm for bits” Ember Flames stated.

“Oh, well ok sure” Applejack agreed, “can you buck trees?”.

“I think I can figure it out” Ember said as they headed for some trees still holding apples. Ember studied the tree and then stretched her hooves. She was getting ready to buck one when a thought occurred to her. She flew into the tree and shook it and apples fell and filled the baskets below in no time. Applejack’s jaw dropped, “Well I’ll be. That’s that fastest apple bucking method I’ve ever seen”.

“Really? You’ve never seen a pegasus buck before?” she asked.

“Well my friend Fluttershy helped me out one time, but not that fast” Applejack admitted, “You’ll earn tons of bits with hard work like that”. Within about two hours over half of the apple trees were apple free and Ember Flames helped haul the apples inside the barn. "Well, I think that's enough Apples for today y'all" Applejack said as she searched through a little wooden box, " one hundred bits". She handed a small, Brown bag to Ember Flames.

"Are you sure you wanna give me that much?" Ember asked holding the bag of bits up. "You earned em" Applejack said with a big smile.

"Oh thank you Applejack" Ember said putting the bits in her saddle bag.

"Do you have somewhere to stay Ember?" Applejack asked.

“No, I’ll look for a place when I leave here” Ember said, “thank you for the bits”.

“I won’t hear of it” Applejack announced, “you can stay in our guest room”.

“Oh, I don’t wanna impose Applejack, the bits were more then enough” Ember said.

“Please Ember, I wouldn’t feel right knowing you were out there without somewhere to stay” Applejack pleaded.

“Only if I continue to help around the farm” Ember offered.

“It’s a deal!” Applejack said as they shook hooves.

“Now let’s get ya settled in, dinner is soon” Applejack said as they headed inside. Ember Flames sat in her room trying to stay calm. She had never ate pony food before. Or food period for that matter. She just had to eat and not show any sign of disgust if the food didn’t taste good. “Soups on everypony!” she heard Applejack call. As she walked down the stairs sweet smells hit her nose. “Their food sure smells good” she said to herself. She walked into the kitchen and saw a red stallion with a blonde mane sitting on the table. “Ember this here is my brother Big Mac” Applejack said pointing to her brother.

“I am really sorry to hear you’re hurt” Ember said smiling at Big Mac.

“Eeyup” was his reply. Ember sat at the table as Applejack and Apple Bloom rolled in a tray with bowls in them. “I hope you like this Ember” Applejack said, “it’s Big Mac’s favorite”.

“Oh,what is it?” Ember asked as Apple Bloom placed a bowl in front of her.

“It’s my hoof made apple petal stew” Applejack said, “as she sat at the table, “it has apples, apple broth, potatoes, and several types of flower petals”. Ember looked at the stew, it looked weird, but smelled amazingly sweet. “Go on  y’all eat up” Applejack said digging into her bowl. “This is it” she said to herself. She dipped her spoon into the mushy food and brought it up to her mouth. She poured it into her mouth and studied the taste. The taste was foreign but, super sweet. She knew it wouldn’t make her full, but she could enjoy the taste worry free. “This is really good” Ember said as she took another bite.

“I’m glad you like” Applejack smiled as she ate. As they ate and talked Ember eased. She knew she finally found home. Weeks passed and Ember Flames learned how to do the chores around the farm. One day she was resting in a hay pile when she heard Apple Bloom going on. “Ah, come on Sis!”.

“No Apple Bloom” Applejack said, “I am going over to Twilight’s to search through her books for info on the statue that was discovered in the forest”.

“Then why can’t I go?!” Apple Bloom pleaded.

“You’ll set around, get bored, and then complain” Applejack told her.

“Then let Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo come over here” Apple Bloom suggested.

“AB, I have no problem leaving you at home alone, but not all three of you fillies” Applejack admitted.

“I’ll watch them” Ember said as she walked out of the barn and up to the two sisters.

“Are you sure Ember?” Applejack asked, “they can be a hoofful”.

“I’m sure, I mean they can play outside while I gather more apples”. Ember stated with a smile.

“If you’re sure fine” Applejack looked at Apple Bloom, “you and your friends better behave yourselves”. Apple Bloom nodded. “I’ll be back in a few hours Ember” Applejack said as she headed to Twilight’s. A little bit later all the fillies are playing in the yard as Ember is collecting apples. “I am so bored!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“Well I am learning to loop de hoop for real this time” Apple Bloom said, “wanna learn with me?”.

“Ok” Scootaloo said as Apple Bloom ran and got her loop de hoop.

“I am learning to do this” Apple Bloom twirls the loop around her right hoof and then switches it to her left hoof as it keeps twirling. “Wow I wanna try!” Sweetie Belle chimed. Apple Bloom handed her the hoop. She started to twirl, but when she went to switch the loop flew off her hoof and over the fence and rolled into the forest. “My hoop!” Apple Bloom cried reaching a hoof out as to stop it.

“I’m sorry Apple Bloom” Sweetie Belle said.

“Calm down” Scootaloo ordered, “let’s just go get it”.

“We can’t go into the forest alone” Apple Bloom said, “it’s too dangerous”.

“Oh come” Scootaloo said jumping in between her two friends and wrapping her front hooves around them “we’re the cutie mark crusaders!”.

“And?” Sweetie Belle asked raising an eye to her friend.

“And we can do anything!” Scootaloo answered, “come on!”. She ran and jumped over the fence. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at each other and shrugged. They jumped over the fence. Sweetie Belle tripped and knocked a piece of wood of the fence and landed oddly. “You ok?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine” she said as they headed into the forest. Ember had just gathered ten buckets of apples and loaded the last into the barn. “Girls I hope your having fun” she said as she walked out, but didn’t see the girls. She figured they were in the house and went to check. “Girls!” she called as she trotted in and checked the living room, and then kitchen. “Girls!” she called again as she galloped upstairs and checked in Apple Bloom’s room. “GIRLS!” she called as she galloped back downstairs and searched outside. She check the apple fields, and the barn. “Great Shade!, you’ve lost three little fillies!” she scolded herself. Thats when she noticed the part of the fence that was broke and seen the forest beyond. “No! they can’t be in there!” she flew over the fence and galloped into the forest. The girls were looking in the brushes of the forest for Apple Bloom’s hoop. “Maybe we should head back y’all” Apple Bloom suggested.

“We haven’t found your hoop yet” Scootaloo said as she checked behind a bush.

“I can get a new one” Apple Bloom said, “I don’t like this place”.

“Let’s just search a little more” Scootaloo said as they walked on, searching behind trees.

“But what if Applejack comes home and we’re missing, I don’t want Ember to get in trouble” Apple Bloom reminded.

“She’s studying at Twilight’s, she’ll be gone a while” Scootaloo said. They searched until they came to a fork in the road. “We’ll never find it “Apple Bloom said, “let’s just go back now”. As they turned to go back three timberwolves were coming toward them. All three fillies screamed and ran. Ember heard their screams and started to gallop as fast as she could toward the screams. She reached the girls and saw the wolves. “Girls stay calm!” she called. One of the wolves leaped at her and she slid under it and stood in front of the fillies and stared the mutts down. “Ember what are we gonna do?!” Apple Bloom pleaded. She looked at the three scared little fillies. “I’m gonna do something, but please don't be scared, ok?” she asked and the fillies nodded. She glared as she smiled wickedly. Her pony body seemed to drain away revealing the changeling she truly was. The girls gasped. “Bring it mutts!” she said in her slithery changeling voice. The wolves roared and started for the ponies. Ember used magic to toss them across the ground. Suddenly more wolves appeared, hearing the battle going on. She smiled and grinned and her horn glowed purple. All the wolves were grabbed in a purple mist and then in one flash were all turned to dust. “Apple Bloom!” she heard Applejack call. Applejack seen the changeling and stopped in her tracks. “Where are my sister and her friends?!” Applejack demanded as she dug her hoof across the ground getting ready to charge the changeling. “Applejack don’t!” she heard Apple Bloom demand as she and her friends ran to the changeling. “Girls get away from it!” Applejack ordered trying to stay calm.

“She’s not an it, she’s a mare” Apple Bloom said.

“She’s dangerous, now go home while I handle her” Applejack said shooting a stare of hatred the changeling’s way. Apple Bloom turned to face the changeling. “Show her” she ordered softly. She nods and Applejack watches as she seems absorb back into the pony she knew as Ember Flames. “What in tarnation?” Applejack asked with confusion on her face.

“I’ve been living as Ember this whole time” she admitted.

“Why?” Applejack demanded, “to feed off us?!”.

“No, I would never do that!” Ember said with as much truth in her voice as she could muster.

“Then why?!” Applejack demanded shooting a harsh look her way. Ember looked down and Applejack caught a glimpse of shame in her eyes. “During our attack on canterlot, I seen the fear clear on the faces of the ponies we were terrorizing” she started, “the group I was in cornered a small group of fillies and colts. I couldn’t feed, They were so small. When we were ran off I split from my family and have been living in the everfree forest ever since”. For a long time everypony was silent. Just when Ember didn’t think she could stand it anymore Applejack broke the silence. “What’s your real name?”.

“Shade Bolt” she said looking Applejack in the eye.

“And you swear what yer telling me is true?” Applejack asked.

“If I were up to something wouldn’t I have done it by now?” Shade asked.

“Applejack c'mon, you’re always going on about trust, show her some” Apple Bloom said. Applejack looked at her and then to Shade. “Shade, you can stay”. The girls cheered. “Please Applejack, call me Ember. I never wanna be Shade Bolt again. I’m a pony now” Ember announced. Applejack nodded, “I won’t tell nopony, I know I can trust you”.

“Thank you so much Applejack” Ember Flames smiled.

“Well let’s get out of this dreadful forest” she said as they headed back to the farm.