Hearts of Fire

Moonstone ran throughout her home in a terrified haze.

“MOMMY?! WHERE ARE YOU?! I CAN’T FIND YOU MOMMY! WHERE’D YOU GO?!”

Her cries and calls were laudable, but nopony heard her. Nopony was there. She was all alone. Scared, sad, and confused. She ran hysterically throughout a house, now unfamiliar to her. So many stairs, so many rooms, so many doors, but only one filly. She had tried to go outside, maybe into town. Alas, the front door sent her right back into her room. She found herself running in circles. She collapsed onto the tile floor and sobbed.

“Mommy, where are you?”

                                                                       Hours earlier…..

Moonstone and Lucius walked throughout the streets of Ponyville. Everypony, giving them odd looks. Not because of the strange new stallion, but at the fact little moony was with him. Her father had taken her to the park, the local cake shop, the library, and a few other fun places. She walked down the street, holding her fathers hand.

“Daddy, don’t you want anything?” She asked, seeing her father not buy a single thing for himself.

He would only shake his head and smile at her.

“I get plenty full watching you eat.”

By the time the two were finished with their day, it had gotten dark. Almost everypony was inside, asleep, of just relaxing from a long day of work. On the way home, Lucius noticed how many times Moonstone would stop to yawn and rub her eyes.

“Tired I see?”

Moonstone nodded and wiped her nose. Her father smiled and leaned over to pick her up, then the two were back down the road home. As moonstone fell asleep, Lucius changed. He blinked slowly at a rogue pony passing by to expose huge red eyes with thin slit pupils. He held a sadistic grin as they would receive an uneasy feeling and walk away as fast as they could. The ground he walked on seemed to decay with every touch. Streetlights burnt out as he passed.  All animals of the area fled in response to his presence. The closer he got to the church, the hotter he became. The very dirt path he walked upon seemed to catch on fire.

He strided up to the alter of the church….

Opened the huge doors…

Tiptoed inside….

And, with a glorious white light, he and Moonstone were gone.

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Moonstone could only remember waking up in her room, just like every other morning. She rose up sleepily and rubbed her eyes. She walked into her mother’s room to see she wasn’t there.

“Must be making breakfast!” She said to herself as she shut her mother’s door and headed for the kitchen.

She swung open the kitchen door and darted inside, but to her surprise, nopony was there.

“Mommy?” She called.

No answer.

“Momma? Where are you?”

Silence.

She continued to call and search, but there was nopony home. Just her. All alone. She looked all over, and just as she felt she was coming to the end of her search, a new door, staircase, or corridor would appear out of nowhere. Many rooms and hallways seemed as if they would never end, but somehow Moony pulled through. Each new room grew more terrifying than the next. Filled with evil clowns, (moony was very scared of clowns) giant spiders, ghosts, ghouls, and monsters. She was very scared. This sort of thing was just too much for a little filly, but she found the courage to move on, closer and closer to what she thought was the end of some crazy nightmare. She had finally found herself at the top of another staircase, but this one was different. There was absolutely nothing up here. It was like an empty white void, filled with nothing but air. There was however, a lone door at the other side. A black door, adorned I golden roses, and etched with what looked like glitter. Yeah, glitter and gold all over.

“This door looks nice…” She thought to herself.

She reached out to open the door, her eyes filled with jubilation and relief; thinking the nightmare was over….

But she was wrong.

She was very, very wrong.

Her innocent childish eyes were met with the sight of her father, staring amongst a realm of fire and brimstone, a sadistic grin glued to his features. The world around her was torn apart. Mangled creatures ran rampant, and the shrieks and cries of untold pain, suffering, and fury filled her ears. She clamped her tiny hooves over her mouth and took it all in, the black skies, the thunder and fire and monsters, and death. The stench of rotten flesh and smoke filled her nostrils, making her gag. She looked up for a moment and saw her father a few yards away, but was terrified to move from her spot. She thought that the monsters would try to get her. She was frozen, frozen in fear.

“I see you’ve found your way home…” Her father spoke at last, loud enough to make the entire earth beneath him shake.

His voice was dark and demented, his tone was filled with fury, rage and hatred. Moonstone stood still, not moving, not speaking.

“I asked you a question…”

“……..I……….”

Lucius frowned and glared at Moonstone, making her cringe.

“Come…”

“but- but daddy-“

“COME HERE NOW!”

Moonstone jumped and looked around. No attention being directed towards her, she hesitantly stepped out onto the brimstone path. She looked around, but nothing happened. She wanted to run to her father, but she was a little scared of him. She treaded carefully towards him and wiped her nose. By the time she was standing in front of him, she felt as if she had a bowling ball in her stomach, and a desert in her mouth. Her father gazed upon her, riveted by her innocence. He took her hoof and led her towards a large black castle. Large, creepy bird-like monsters were either perched up on the edges of the roof, of flying around the great big palace. She shivered as he lowered opened the large iron gates, releasing a living draft of freezing cold air. He led her inside and gave her a gentle shove forward. She stepped timidly at first, than boldly as she passed through the hallway, seeing paintings of life-like moments. Moments in fact, that were familiar to her. Like her 5th birthday, her first day of school, and the day she first met her father.

“Daddy, where are we?” She asked quietly.

He opened his mouth, as if to answer, but said nothing. He just shook his head and urged her on.

She was very confused. How had he known about all of these moments, but never had even been there to see them himself? Moonstone was rather suspicious.

“Daddy-“

“No…” he said coldly. “I am not your daddy, I am Lucifer. Your father…”

Moonstone froze at those words. She quickly turned to face him and held a stunned look. She started in disbelief and shook her head.

“no, nononononononononoooo~” She whined as she collapsed onto her knees and started to cry.

Lucifer walked over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Why do you cry my dear? You should be happy. You are part of something much, much better than the regular mortal ponies. You are royalty. You are a destined ruler. You are-“

“The antichrist!!” She shouted through tears.

“I know this stuff daddy! Once you have bred or, somthin, the aplocolypse will start!” She cried.

Lucifer frowned and stood over her, thinking of a way to convince her that this sudden change was surly for the better.

Or for what was easier for him.

To be continued.