“’Ay, quit yer bickerin’! Ah think ‘e’s coming to!” That voice, hazy and distant, is the first thing Moonshadow hears upon regaining consciousness, his world slowly turning from black to blurry and then to clear images.

Three ponies are staring down at him; The angry face of the oldest stallion, the sky blue mare who had spoken up in his defense, and a bright red filly with a forest green mane about his age, currently hovering over him.

Wordlessly, Moonshadow instinctively withdraws away from the group, glancing between them all fearfully.

“Ah, now look whatcha did! Ya have the poor thing scared silly.” The azure mare remarks, lightly slugging the stallion on the shoulder.

“Ahm just tryna make sure yer both safe.” The oldest one grimaces. “He was up t’no good, prowlin’ through the barn lik’ that.”

Moonshadow glances around, wondering if he could escape while they were distracted, but instead he is met with the cheery face of the filly staring directly at him.

“Hay! Ahm Aria, Aria Everbloom Rhodi. Issa pleasure to meetcha. Dun mind Torrent, ‘e’s always a bit cranky around strangers.” The filly offers a hoof, smiling reassuringly. “Was’ yer name?”

“M-Moonshadow.” He stammers out, unsurely. The filly and orange mare both look at eachother, raising a brow.

“Thassa... Intristin name.” Everbloom remarks, unsurely. It sounded more like some high-falutin nobles name than something a Hyperaustralan would have, not to mention that at his age there was no way the moon had still been around when he’d chosen it. “But was yer first name?” She asks; the compound word was obviously a chosen name, as was tradition.

“I-I don’t have one. I wasn’t given a name.” Moonshadow retorts unsurely. The countryponies around him all exchange knowing glances.

“Ya see Torri? He’s jus’ a poor down on ‘is luck orphan. Give tha colt some slack.” The azure mare bumps into the stallion, who glares over at Moonshadow.

“Fine. But ifn I catch ‘im around ‘ere again ah won’t be so gentl.” He relents. “Now scram.”

Moonshadow was more than willing to take that as his cue to leave and seek other pastures, but as he struggles up to his hooves, his legs shake and give out from under him again, a thunderous groan of hunger coming from his emaciated stomach. The last winter had been particularly harsh; would he even make it to the next farmstead over where he could try again to steal food?

“Now wait jus’ a minute!” Everbloom shouts. “’E’s jus’ about mah age, an’ e’s jus like me, never knowing ‘is parents. This is where ah would be if ah didn’ ‘ave you two!” She stomps a hoof down, looking bold as her two older siblings look surprised at the outburst. “Well, it’s mah birthday today, an’ I say ‘e can stay!” Without even waiting for confirmation, Everbloom takes Moonshadow’s hoof in her own. “C’mon, we’re gonna git ya somethin ta eat!” She announces, before marching off towards the dome-shaped structure behind the barn.

Moonshadow in his current state, barely able to wobble up to his legs, wouldn’t be in a position to resist her dragging him around even if he had wanted to. ...To eat? Those words were just about the only thing that penetrated the haze of hunger. Yes... Eat... Food.

Torrent was glaring at the newcomer still, looking decidedly unhappy with this turn of events though he tolerates his sister’s wishes. Sunshine, on the other hoof, is ecstatic, bouncing along after the two foals. “Ah, you’ve really grown up, lil’ sis! Ahm so proud of ya!” She beams, kicking open the door to the silo and revealing the families storage of food.

“Are ya really sur’ you wanna show some stranger wher’ we keep our food? Yer practically beggin’ ‘im to steal it.” Torrent protests from behind them.

Sunshine looks back, frowning. “Is not stealin’ when it’s freely given, Torri. We ‘ave enough to spare.”

Torrent frowns, but seeing he was outvoted, shakes his head. “Ah, fine, ‘ave it your way. But ah’ll be watchin’ ‘im!”

----------------------------------------

A series of introductions-some friendly and some less so-later, all four ponies, including a decidedly uncomfortable looking Moonshadow and suspicious Torrent, gather around the families dining room table.

“Now, ah believe it’s time fer presents?” Sunshine asks Torrent pointedly. “Ya did get them from the barn, didntcha?” She asks, raising a brow.

“...Nope.” He admits at some length. “Ah was a little distracted.” He shoots a glare at Moonshadow, who noticeably wilts in place. As hungry as he is, it's difficult to eat the bowl of oats that had been given to him with that tall, athletic looking bicorn leering over him across the table.

Sunshine giggles. “Ah, that about figures. ‘Old on, ah’ll be back.” Humming to herself, she bounces off back towards the barn, leaving Moonshadow with just Torrent and Aria Everbloom.

“Sos... Where ‘ave you been livin’ ifn yer on yer own? An’ wot happened t’yer parents?” Everbloom asks at some length, looking over at Moonshadow sympathetically.

Moonshadow blinks, in some degree of surprise. He wasn’t used to being asked questions about himself, save perhaps when guards were trying to figure out what to do with him. “Um.” He struggles to recall the right words, his ‘upbringing’ had not exactly blessed him with a stunning vocabulary. “I-I don’t know my parents. They left me before I can...” He squints, trying to think of the right word. “Before my mind reach?” He follows up, unsurely. That didn’t sound quite right, but it was the best he could manage.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

He can’t help but notice a peculiar reaction from Torrent across from him; a faint smile, almost imperceptible, a mild sense of approval in his glance.

“You never knew yer parents either, huh?” Everbloom adds sympathetically. “Mah ma an’ pa died when ah was jus’ a filly. But ah at leas’ had Torri and Sunny.” She offers him an encouraging smile. “Ah know mah bro can come on a bit strong, but ah promis e’s as sweet as they come when ya get to know ‘im.”

Moonshadow glances back and forth between the two ponies. Somehow, he can’t help but doubt Everbloom’s claims. But they at least put him at ease enough to try eating; without taking his eyes off of Torrent, he slowly dips his head forwards and munches on a mouthful of oats. Oh, that was a delight... Even cardboard would have tasted like the finest delicacy to him right then.

While he was eating, Sunshine returned to the room, prancing along to the table with a stack of boxes and bags somehow precariously balanced upon her back, which she promptly bounces onto the table with a subtle flick of her entire body. “Aaaand ‘ere we are! Oooh, ah hope ya like it!” Sunshine squeals out, sitting down at the table and staring over at Everbloom with rapt attention, a mile-wide smile plastered firmly to her face.

Moonshadow eyes the stack of presents unsurely, recognizing the goods he'd dug through earlier in his quest for sustenance. And somehow he'd ended up here, sitting in on some fillies birthday celebrations. He was only very dimly aware that such things even existed. Here were ponies who had things to look forward to other than just their next meals; the colt can't help but feel a pang of ugly jealousy through his heart.

Everbloom meanwhile lifts up the bag with her first present, and digs into it to retrieve a pair of vividly dyed, bright orange ribbons. The filly holds them up, blinking at them in confusion. "Um... Wot are these for?" She asks, stumped. In a blur of movement, Sunshine blitzes behind her and at breakneck speed, ties the ribbons into knots around the fillies hair, leaving it in two short pigtails.

"Ah know ya like doin' up yer hair all fancy-like, an' I thought some bow ties would make it look real purty! What'n do y'all think?" She exclaims, hopefully and maybe a little nervously.

Everbloom scurries over in a rush to find someplace to view her own reflection, settling on one of the few pieces of nice dishware the family had; an aluminium coated plate polished to resemble silver. "Aw, Ah love 'em! They look so cute!" The filly squeals, lifting her pigtails experimentally before turning to her older sister and nodding her head. "You'll 'ave to show me how ya tie 'em though, unless y'all wanna tie 'em for me every morning." The filly giggles in amusement as Sunshine ruffles her mane.

Roisin Sunshine beams in response. "Ahm glad ya like 'em, lil sis! Go on, open yer next present!"

Moonshadow watches the proceedings with an uncomfortable, distinct feeling of alienation, as he continues munching on the bowl of oats. He'd learned from plenty of times on the brink of starvation that overeating after a long famine would wreck his insides, so he eats slowly and carefully to give himself some time to process the food. As he does, he surreptitiously scoots his chair back, hoping the other ponies would simply forget he was there at all; not that that seems at all likely, with Torrent continuing to eye him suspiciously, not letting up one bit.

So, under the watchful gaze of Torrent, Moonshadow sits there trying to restrain his unending appetite while Everbloom opens each of her gifts in turn; a new pair of saddlebags, a small bag of rock candy, even a pocket knife. Moonshadow stares enviously at the filly. Some 'orphan', huh... She's spoiled rotten just like the rest of them.

It's hard not to be bitter to the world, when the world has never given him anything.

Such thoughts are interrupted when Aria Everbloom turns to Moonshadow, tilting her head. "Ah guess ya dun have anypony ta' give ya gifts when its yer birthday, huh?" The filly frowns, pondering, before perking up. "Wait right 'ere, ah'll be right back!" Hopping down from her seat, the young bicorn blitzes through the house and up the stairs in a red-and-green blur before whooshing right back into the room, carrying a bow.

Only this time, it isn't a hair bow but rather the kind used as a weapon, complete with a quiver full of arrows held in her mouth. Placing the weapon on the table, Everbloom presents it to Moonshadow. "Since y'don't 'av anypony else, ah'll giv ya this! Since yer all on yer own out there, ah think you'll get more use out of it than me anyhow." Everbloom nods sagely.

Torrent can't help but scoff and look over at Everbloom incredulously. "Now look 'ere lil sis, ah understand yer tryin' t'be nice an' all, but ah can't let you go an' arm this ruffian in our own home!" His tone comes the closest to scolding that it had in the past week, though he mostly just sounds worried for his sisters safety. "Ah mean, jus' look at... 'im..." He trails off as he looks over at Moonshadow, who is currently holding up the bow with wide, shocked eyes, tears collecting in the corners.

"R-Really? For me? Y-You mean it?" Moonshadow asks, his voice sounding childlike even relative to his admittedly young age. Nopony has ever given me something like this before... Not ever.

Aria blinks, not knowing how to respond, glancing back and forth between her two older siblings. She was just trying to be nice; she hadn't expected this kind of reaction. "Y-yeah, is all yours." She states at some length.

The hyperaustralan colt closes his eyes and squeezes the bow limbs in something approximating a hug, as if it were a dear loved one. "Thankyou... I promise to take good care of it." He utters solemnly, holding the cool wood against his cheek.

Torrent and Sunshine just watch, momentarily overwhelmed, until Roisin Sunshine nudges her brother from the side.

"Y'all were sayin'?" She asks, dryly. Torrent shakes his head.

"...Alright, ah guess 'e can keep it." He gives in reluctantly. Protective of his family as he may be... Even the older bicorn can't stand to be quite so harsh against such a young and destitute colt for long. Having made up his mind, the stallion stands up, and walks up to the hyperaustralan.

Moonshadow looks up at him with fearful eyes. "I-it's mine, it was a gift, you can't have it back!" He utters, protectively holding the bow against his chest.

"Ahm not takin' it back, ya little hellion." Torrent states, dryly. "C'mon, y'look all tuckered out. Ah imagine yer gonna need some time t'put some weight on those poor bones of yers. Lessgo an' see if we can't find someplace y'all can sleep t'night."

Moonshadow stares up at him in disbelief, a solitary tear leaking down the side of his face. Did he... mean it? He was going to let him stay the night? Not knowing what to say, Moonshadow breaks down in tears, and throws his hooves around Torrent's chest as if he was a long-lost friend.

"Woah, there, lil colt..." Torrent starts, surprised, blushing slightly as he looks back and forth between his two sisters, who promptly join in on the action.

"Aw, Torri, yer such a softie underneath it all!" Sunshine giggles, hugging her older brother tightly. "Ah knew you'd come around!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Torrent extricates himself from the mass of limbs. "C'mon, lessgo. Ah think we ‘ave some extra blankets in the loft 'e can use..."