Forlorn

Chapter 3: A Strange New World

Vermello slowly awoke; his eyes remained closed. He hoped that it was a dream, that everything was just a horrible nightmare. He wished that he was at home in his bed. When Vermello opened his eyes, however, he found that he was not at all at home. The environment around him was like nothing he had ever seen. The ground was made up of yellow sand, but had an abundance of dark blue flowers growing from it. The sky was a crimson red with no clouds, but what appeared to planets and other heavenly bodies were largely visible. Every now and then a bright white streak would pierce the sky then fizzle away. Vermello now knew that he was no longer in Equestria.

Even with this odd landscape, there was still a path of darker sand that trailed through the lighter yellow sand. Vermello found himself to be already standing on this path; he knew not which direction was the correct one. It seemed as if left had steered him wrong last time he was faced with a decision like this, so naturally he chose right.

Vermello followed the path. Curiosity and absolute terror coursed through him as he walked. Even so, he felt as if his parents were drawing close, like he was almost there. As the minutes flew by, Vermello came to the end of road. He found himself standing on the precipice of a cliff. Unsure of what to do next, he simply peered off into the distance. He saw nothing, absolutely nothing; it was as if he had ventured to the very end of the universe. Unable to process this, Vermello decided to head back in the other direction, however, something began to arise from the abyss. At first, it appeared to be the moon, but as it rose higher and higher, Vermello saw eyes then a mouth. With his own eyes dilated hugely in terror as the colossal thing cast a shadow over him, he stood paralyzed, only able to peer into the creature’s black soulless eyes. The right eye of the creature suddenly lit up and emitted a blinding blue light. The other eye did the same, but with a red light. Both lights then focused onto the small red colt. Vermello was still paralyzed. The light seemed so warm and appealing to him, but at the same time, he felt incredibly terrified. After a few more seconds had elapsed, it appeared that the large figure was moving towards him. Vermello reacted with an involuntary scream of horror. He turned around quickly and galloped as fast as he possibly could down the path. Lightning bolts fell from the heavens around him as he made his escape from the monster. Each bolt seemed to get closer and closer to him. His senses were once again overloaded. All he felt he could do was run and cry. As his tears fell he shouted, “I can’t do it! I can’t be brave; I don’t want to be brave! Help me, somepony, help me, mommy!” His calls were answered only by a particularly close bolt of lightning.

Vermello became exhausted and collapsed in the sand. Tears steadily flowed from his eyes as he lied there. The lightning has ceased, but the winds increased and had brought about a sandstorm. Vermello curled up in a ball, shielding his face with his two front hooves. He felt thirsty, hungry, and very tired. Most of all, he wanted to go home, he wanted to be safe in his mother’s arms; no more running away, no more crying. Vermello wondered what all the other foals were doing right now. He thought of Ponyville; he envisioned the marketplace with foals running about and their parents watching. He thought of their smiles and their laughs.

Even though, he was of a very young age, Vermello was bright. He knew that the only way he would be able to see his parents again would be to do as his mother had asked; he had to be strong, he had to be brave. Even in the midst of the raging sandstorm, and with tears flowing like rivulets, Vermello found strength in hope. He used the images of his parents and happy foals to fuel him.

The winds howled deafeningly passed Vermello’s folded back ears. He squinted his eyes and kept his focus on the mysterious dark path as sand and other strange debris flew by at alarming velocities. Despite all this, he managed to slowly move forward one hoof at a time. The winds threatened to knock him off balance, but he held his ground. “I will find my parents…” he chanted with determination, “I will find my parents…”

After what seemed to be hours, the sandstorm finally subsided. Vermello was now feeling very hungry. “I wish I had some hay and sliced carrots…” he thought to himself. Hay and sliced carrots was his absolute favorite thing that his mother would make for lunch. The thought of eating lunch with his mother made him want to cry again, but just then he saw something in the distance. Curiosity eclipsed his sentimental thoughts as he made his way over to see what the form was. Vermello questioned his own perception of reality at the moment that he realized he was looking at a small bale of hay with what appeared to be carrots growing next to it. Just as any young pony would, without hesitation Vermello immediately began to chomp away at the hay. The delicious flavor in his mouth confirmed that this was no mirage. Excitedly, he bit the green top on a carrot and uprooted it. Yellow sand fell from the root as he held it in his mouth. Sometimes his mother would slice the carrots into shapes such as stars or hearts before giving it to him. These carrots were not sliced, of course, but they would have to do for now. After eating the hay and carrots, Vermello felt energized; he was ready to find his parents again. He was still feeling a bit thirsty, though. He dreamed of tea as he continued down the path. These only further motivated him; the sooner he found his parents, the sooner he could have tea.

Vermello kept on trekking down the seemingly endless road. Eventually he came upon a new landmark. It was a large sand dune with a massive hole on the side as if it were a cave. Vermello, cautiously, but curiously approached the strange dune. As he did so, the earth shook in a series of tremors. Vermello’s pupils enlarged and he took a step back. Something was emerging from the hole. It was a large red worm-like creature with two enormous black eyes and an equally scaled mouth. Vermello wanted to scream, he wanted to run, yet, he simply stood paralyzed before the massive thing. The creature opened its mouth and Vermello tensed up, however, it only said, “Vermello, you don’t have any parents.” Vermello was baffled.

“What!?” he thought, “What does this thing mean, of course I have parents!” Vermello quickly became enraged. “I do have parents!” he yelled “I do, I do!” He wanted nothing more than to buck the slanderous worm until it bled; and he did just that. With several screams of agony the colossal worm fell to the ground and began to secrete a dark liquid. Its black eyes were glazed over as it lay lifelessly in the sand. Vermello huffed and puffed as he watched the worm and the dune itself begin to melt away as if made of ice. Within a matter of seconds it was completely gone, and Vermello stood alone once again in the strange desert.