Embers of Hope

The emotion inside of Flarestrike was unmatched in that moment, nothing else could have made this more perfect. Tears of joy were streaming from his face, occasionally falling onto the sleeping ponies pelt, and quickly drying up in the presence of his warmth.
However
Something deep inside him was disagreeing with him
NO! the voice was clearer now. You have disobeyed my orders, and for this you shall pay!
Wind swept through the wind chilling even him, his eyes widened as the windows opened with a loud thud. He looked worriedly down at his partner
Sleeping like an angel.
Peering outside he could see nothing but darkness and the steady, yet eerie wind blowing into his face, whispering to him
Now you BOTH will pay
He ignored these warnings, mother could never touch him and he knew that. Flarestrike yawned now, it was very early in the morning now and he hadn’t had much sleep in a long time. He shut his eyes to go to sleep when a voice once again filled his head

Bed so soon honey? We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen while your…dreaming…would we? Her voice sounded like poison to him
You leave her out of this you bitch! He spat back, his thoughts flaring in his head, burning the scar of his.
He knew damn well why he couldn’t go to sleep. She could influence him and…It…could control him.
But he was so tired, Flarestrike fought back on his drowsy eyes, biting his hoof now and again to stay awake. But his consciousness was fading, and he soon shut his eyes and fell deep into sleep.
Sweet dreams, my son…and…don’t let the bed bugs bite.

Flarestrike fell with a painful thud onto a cold floor. His head was spinning, heart beating, ribs aching and he couldn’t even stand up right. Opening his eyes, he could see what seemed to be a dark cave enveloped in a dim green light that hurt his eyes. Somehow this all seemed…familiar. When his ears stopped ringing he could hear an insect like buzzing from underfoot, standing up he noticed what he was surrounded by a horde of squirming, buzzing Changlings.
“FUCK!” he screamed with anger, as the entire legion charged atop him. Anger and rage quickly filled his ringing head as he released a flaming typhoon from his burning horn. Thousands of charred bodies flew every which way as the energy hit the swarm head on, but they kept coming regardless. He released more energy, and his eyes glowed a fiery gold
No…no… his thoughts were interrupted by another being inside of him, releasing an inner demon, laying dormant for ages
YES! The creature screamed, and his scar streached another inch down his eyes, blood and fire bursting from the reopened wound. Flarestrike tried to scream in pain, but nothing came out. The demon was now in control, his body shut down as he heard mother let out a diabolical laugh and the swarm of Changlings swept over him like a wave, then held him like a vice grip as the Queen closed in on him.
“You truly thought you could avoid me for ever my little friend? I thought I trained you not to be so foolish!”
“LET GO OF ME YOU DISGUISTING BITCH!” his voice was not even his anymore, after speaking he shuddered that such a noise had come from his mouth. His head stirred, the demon punishing him for talking back.
“Now you and that little mare of yours will burn! Along with the rest of your little town! And after that, all of EQUESTRIA!”
Flarestrike shook with anger, his eyes were flaring and his scar was bubling warm blood. He wanted to hit this monster with all his might, and just like that the demon left, unleashing his fury. Flarestrike screamed as he though about killing the insect he called his mother when he heard Applejack scream, and he was instantly brought back to reality.

The orange mare sat in the corner, with a long burn from her foreleg. Flarestrike awoke, with blood pouring from his scar onto the apple quilt as he gazed in horror as Applejack cradled her wound, a burning gash bubling with blood.
“A….Applejack…are you-“
“GIT AWAY FROM ME YA MONSTER!” she screeched, tears streaming from her eyes, “GIT OUTA MAH HOUSE!”
He stood there for a second until he realized what had happened and bolted out left in a flash of bright light, reappearing in the tree clearing where he had sat with Applejack just a few hours before.
______________________
The sky was brightening up now, though the sun had not shown its face just yet, but Celestia was most likely preparing for the event.
How could all of this get out of hand so quickly? What had even happened to Applejack? Too many thoughts were running through Flarestrikes’ head as he walked down the market street where he had first met Applebloom. He couldn’t even begin to think about what she may tell them. He thought harder into the nightmare he had. He must have burnt her by accident in his struggle within his own mind. He cursed under his breath. He knew this was all the doing of his mother, but the thought knowing that it was only a matter of time before she wrecked her havoc was not of concern to him.
He had just let the love of his life fall out of his hands, wisped away by a simple mistake. He thought back to earlier, when he had met her. On the cliff side, her pelt glowing in the setting sun.
Flarestrike tried to pull himself back into reality. It was now apparent to him that not a single soul was awake in the town. Turning around he even noticed that the lights in the house on Sweet Apple Acres were off, implying that all was still peaceful. Lets just hope to keep it that way. Flarstrike sat himself down on a park bench and looked into a small puddle being formed beneath his face. He suddenly realized that this puddle was not rain water, or even water at all. The steady dripping from his bleeding scar was staining the ground red, but still reflecting like a mirror in the rising sun. He was lost, alone, heartbroken, and now crying blood. He tried to laugh at the thought but couldn’t udder a chuckle. Instead he let out a childish sob and dug his head into his forelegs, letting the blood stain his pelt.
Suddenly a strange but farmiliar force was in him. A voice tryin to speak to him.
What wrong my little colt, did you have your heart broken? Oh wait…for that to happen you need to have one to begin with! Flarestrike had no time for these games. Her presense was just a bother at this point, nothing else mattered to him. How ever the voice didn’t like that too much.
LISTEN TO ME WHEN IM SPEAKING YOU BRAT!
Flarestrikes brain ached as the voice burrowed in to his memories, until it found something.
The night he and Applejack made love.
You…Did…NOT! The voice was shrieking now. Thunder crashed overhead as Celestias rising sun was covered by a dark cloud.
Flarestrike shoved Crysalis out of his head, for he knew what was going on.
She was coming.

Applejack jumped as the wind ripped open the windows and doors all throughout the house. She even heard Applebloom yelp in fear from across the hall. As she tried to stand a searing pain in her flank.
“Oh yea…almost forgot.” Her mind began to retrace the thoughts of Flarestrike, but she shook them off hatefully. She had more important things to worry about right now, like this hell of a hurricane that just seemed to show up. Running out the front door, she looked down onto Ponyville, almost everpony was awake now, running every which was to clear things off the street or boarding up their doors.
The storm was fierce now, but something wasn’t right. She felt a connection with this storm…like the storm hated her. A vicious gust of wind aimed right for her blew her hat off of her head as the rest of the Apple family headed to the cellar. She tries to grap it but misses, and is caught by surprise by a figure behind her.

Applejack turns to a panicked Flarestrike, who gripped her leather cowgirl hat in his mouth. The two are motionless for a moment, looking into each tohers eyes like they did all those times before, but both knowing this time it was different. He stepped towards her with determination, but she pressed on.
"Get away from mah family!" Applejack screams into the torrent. Flarestrike tries to reason with her, but he can't speak because the hat is in his mouth. Before he can do anything she reaches the Apple Cellar and gets in quickly. Laying the hat down Flarestrike tries to yank open the door, but to no avail.
“Applejack! Theres something I need to tell you!” His horn glows a fiery orange as the door creaks open, reveiling a scared Apple family guarded by one wild-eyed Applejack.
"Applejack, please! Equestria needs you! I NEED YOU!" in response the a gust of wind blows past, trying to pull him up into the air befoe he wraps a hoof around the door hinge. Looking back he gasps as a dark vortex screams over head, covering Ponyville. He turns his attention back to Applejack, still the more important being in this situation as well as any other.
"Are ya crazy?!" She screams back to him, struggling to keep her voice louder than the whipping winds all around.
"I'm not crazy, Applejack..." he stopped, choking from deja vu. That night, that beautiful night was when he had given the dark power full reign of his body.
" But you know only one part of me. A side in which I’ve shown you. My power for good, the glory, the praise, the etiquette. All included. But you, Applejack," he leaned forward, flexing to keep the storm from yanking him away. Applejack shrank back in disgust.
"Go away!" she proclaimed. Flarestrike gulped on air, making out the last words he could. With all his might, he continued.
"But you, Applejack...you have yet to discover the dark side. It's power grows deeper! I have to protect you, and I need for you to realize that I love you more than life itself!" The wind howled, and Flarestrike's grip loosened. He bolstered himself as best as possible, buffeted by airborne debris.
"If I may, I need to show you what you can make me, Applejack!"
Applejack angrily stamped her hoof down. "What's that?! An ANIMAL?!" Flarestrike's grip was on its last stand. His eyes were glowing. The darkness was consuming him. He closed his eyes to keep himself from looking at her.
"NO," he screamed,
"A GOD!"

He was ripped away from the cellar and sucked into the eye of the tornado. His body was ripped back and forth, tossing him around like a ragdoll as Applejack watched from below in horror. He ignored all this pain, for he knew this would be the last time he dealt with Crysalis.
“This has gone on long enough mom!” he bellowed, keeping his eyes shut. One glance and the dark prophecy would be complete, and everything he held dear would be slain. Mother's dark influence beckoned.
Open your eyes, Flarestrike! Give yourself to the power!
A flash of Applejack struck his mind. It was the same image Flarestrike saw when she was walking with her friends.
"No."
Another flash of Applejack, upon first discovering Sweet Apple Acres. Her kindness for a stranger.
"NO."
Then it was memories. "Howdy there, stranger." "We do have a guest bedroom open." The thought was thunderous.
"NO."
He could feel the winds die down as Mother's confused voice shot out, What are you doing?! IMPUDENT FOAL! Some forced caused his eyes to open, and light of evil shone through them. But he kept processing bits of Applejack.
"NO."
Images turned to experiences. Under the trees, in the bedroom, his mistake.
"NO! IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY! I TAKE THE FALL!" He attempted to shut his eyes, but the force was too powerful. He thought harder. How she felt. Her heart's beat. Her honesty.
Applejack.
"I'd die for you."
His eyes shot open, glowing a devilish red as his mind filled with thoughts of agony, all thanks to mother. He turned into the vortex of blackness and sin and shot a plume of flames at the epicenter. Mother's voice wept in pain, but Flarestrike did not fall for her pity trap. He powered on, thinking about the helpless orange mare with the red ribbons.
"I love you."
The voice was not his own, though quiet he could hear it ringing through his head like a bell. It was sincere, he knew it. She was the element of honesty. With passion, he poured out his godly might into the cyclone, and the winds died down. He felt his heart on the precipice of explosion, rocketing faster than when he was with Applejack. The winds died down, and all became still once again. "The family is safe. That is my mission. For you, my love, anything." His heart stopped. And he was set ablaze.
She gasped in horror as his body melted away while plummeting to the ground. The dull body pounded the ground with a thunk and several cracks, his bones splitting from the impact before all that was left was ash.
Tears streamed from Applejacks face.
“no….no….FLARESTRIKE!” She screamed
______________

There was no funeral. Not that anyone was going to go anyway. Flarestrike had no friends in Ponyville. There was nothing to bury. Instead a monument placed in a nearby apple tree clearing in Sweet Apple Acres, completely untouched except for a camp fire from when two ponies slept on the hill the night before.
Applejack tried her hardest not to look out the window. To see the undertaker pounding on the stone monolith into the ground where they had slept together the night before.
When he told her that he loved her.
There was nothing left she could do. She had sat at that window all day, not daring to look out it. Afraid of what might happen. She could no longer take it, and looked off to the side, staring right at the stone structure. The undertaker had left, and once again he was alone. The tears came slowly at first, but then she began to sob and the tears pooled on the table. She did not care, no one else was home. She must have sat and cried for hours, because finally the tears dried up. She could see the Pegasus flying in the sky above, cleaning up any left over clouds from that unnatural storm. The last of her sobs expired as she sniffled and wiped away any tears still left on her face. She stared at the rock without uddering a word.
This isn’t happening she tried telling herself. The sun was falling now, and she could spot a small flame that had been placed atop the structure in honor of Flarestrikes specialty. The process of the sun setting and darkness rising seemed to be sped up, mostly because Applejack had nothing else to do but sit. The stars were shining above when the wind picked up. It was late no, no weather patrol to clean anything up. A small gust easily put the candle out. She was stunned by this…what should she do? Something spoke out to her, a friendly, loving voice inside her head.
Go see him.
“But I…I can’t” she told herself. There was a pause before another gust blew the back door open, leading right up the hill and towards the grave. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the dark.
She was at the grave now, a large stone pillar that had been engraved with his cutey mark, an orange fire ball. Pretty basic for such an amazing pony Applejack though.
Her hoof extended outward and she touch the engraving, it was smooth but tough, like the body she had once sought out for warmth. The rain began to fall, as did her tears. She sobbed and spoke to the pillar with gleaming emerald eyes.
“Flarestrike you can’t leave me…you complete me. I never had feelings for somepony like I have for you…please..come back…” her eyes shut and tears burt from her lids.
“I Love You Flarestrike…And I Need You.” She sobbed and looked at the ground, rain becoming heavy on her pelt as she collapsed. Her heart was aching, feeling like it was being torn out of her chest. She spoke the words again.
“I Love You, And I Need You.”
Stil nothing. The pain increased before she was crying out mercy, the image of him filled her head over and over again, knowing that she would never see him again. She closed her eyes and began to slip into unconsciousness while tears streamed from her face. One last time she repeated the words.
“I…Love…You…And…I…..Need……..You.”
The rain stopped. And she opened her eyes, still lying on the ground. Instead of a stone pillar, 4 tan forelegs were plated on the ground, looking up the moon lit up the unicorns face. Applejacks eyes gleamed
“I Never Left.” He replied.

Special thanks to Whambulance
For being there and understanding me after all these years.
Thanks Bro