When The Past Is A Present (You'd Like To Return)

Avalon gently knocked on her father’s door. In her hooves was a tray of food, dinner to be exact. Avalon had grown fairly good at cooking. She put her ear to the door to check for her father’s voice. “Dad, I have food for you. I’m coming in, alright?” No response. With a small sigh, she walked into the dark room.

The lights were always off when she came in. She supposed he just hadn’t worked up the energy to turn on the light. Each time she saw him he was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking away from the door. Avi assumed it was because he didn’t want to look at the door she had walked out of. “Dad? I have some food…” Still no response. She sighed and put the tray of food down on the bed by him. She turned to leave.

“Avi, weit.”

Avalon turned quickly to her father, surprised. His voice sounded raw from lack of use, but Avalon could still hear her father’s accent shine through his voice. She looked at his face now that he was turned to her. He was unshaven and his mane was untidy. He looked as though he hadn’t slept this whole week. Still, Avi could see the green shine in his eyes that he always had when Pinkie was around. It was somewhere inside him. “Y-yes, Dad?”

Without a word, Obreon stood and walked to Avalon. He wrapped his hooves around her, hugging her tightly. She was surprised at first, but within seconds she felt tears in her eyes. She broke down in her father’s hooves, sobbing. “’Sarright, Avi… Sh’ll b’arright…” He stroked her mane lightly, holding her comfortingly. She kept crying, laying her head on his shoulder. “Evin 'f she's gun awey fer nao, Pinks'll alweys com beck, y'ave t'ave 'ope, Avi.”

Avi left out a sob, tears rolling down her face. “D-dad, w-what if she doesn’t?! W-what if she’s gone for good this time?!”

Obreon wiped away her tears lightly, smiling despite her tears. Avi couldn’t help but smile from his comforting. He dried the rest of her tears as she sniffed. “Pinki's nivar gone fer good, Avi. Not evin deth cood keep'er frum a dotter liek yew.” She smiled, feeling fresh tears sting at her eyes, but happier ones this time. Leave it to her father to help her smile. He grinned at her smile, getting some of his old sparkle back into his eyes. “Nao, wai dontcha git som rist? Ye've been werkin' yerself 'ard this pest week. Ay cin watch th'Inn fer t'dai.”

Avalon nodded, walking back to the door. She turned as she reached the door. “Thanks, Dad…” He nodded and watched as she walked out.

Shutting the door behind her, Obreon walked to the picture of his wife sitting on the desk. She was smiling in the picture and she looked happier than she had been in years. Obreon had always loved to see her smile… "Ples luv... pruve m'rite n' com beck sune.” He lightly stroked the mane on the picture, almost able to feel her soft mane through the picture. He sighed, smiling, sure she would come back. With a small smile, Obreon walked downstairs to look after the Inn for the day.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Pinkamena was 11 years old today. She didn’t really care how old she was, however. Age didn’t get rid of the scars. Criss crossing the young fillies flank were numerous cuts, all from ‘quarry incidents’. She also had scars on her hooves and chest, but none so bad as those on her cutie mark. Her sisters tended to stay away from her, scared that they would get caught in one of her ‘accidents’ where she had ‘fallen into the quarry and gotten injured’. Neither of them knew her late night activities, or her nightly drinking of her own blood. She’d grown addicted to the taste of blood.

Of course, after her father had found the scars, he had beaten her for being so clumsy by the quarry. She hadn’t been able to walk very good before that anyways, so walking hurt for awhile afterwards. Now, 3 years later, she was still being beaten. Her father beat her for quite a bit nowadays. Leaving her things out, forgetting to clean the house, and even just coming home late. Pinkie had grown somewhat used to the beatings by now, though. Eventually she had just lost feeling.

Pinkie glanced at the sun. Close to setting… She glanced at her sisters. They had all been working so hard today… and it was Pinkies birthday. Sure, her birthdays in the past hadn’t been at all good, but maybe this one was looking up. “Hey, Sisters, come on over!~”

Blinkie and Inkie looked at each other, thinking. They nodded to each other and walked over cautiously. “What did you want, Pinkie,” Inkie asked. Pinkie noticed dark circles under Inkies eyes and realized Inkie hadn’t been sleeping. She wondered how much of her late night blood parties Inkie had heard.

“I was thinking of going for a walk tonight… in the forest~”

Both the young mares eyes widened in fear. Blinkie shook her head. “P-Pinkie, Father said not to go into the forest… B-besides, it’s getting la-“

“WHO’S BIRTHDAY IS IT?!” Both mares flinched as the youngest screamed at them. Pinkie grinned, loving that she could command these two older ponies into doing as she wanted. They may be older, but Pinkie knew they feared her. They had seen her go mad before, having fits from voices in her head. See, they didn’t know what it was like to be feared.

Pinkie loved it.

She began to walk towards the forest. Blinkie and Inkie were forced to follow her, concerned for her well being. Further and further they strayed into the forest, going deep into the trees. Finally, Blinkie spoke up as the sun had fully set, leaving it dark in the forest. “P-Pinkie, maybe we should head back… it’s getting really dark…”

Pinkie turned to her angrily. “WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?!” Blinkie flinched back. Pinkie grinned. “Now, we’re almost to the quarry. I want’d to show you all something.” Pinkie had set up a small party at the quarry one night. There were a few balloons tied to the trees and everything. She had wanted her sisters to come with her to the cliff overlooking the quarry. Today it would be flooded, and maybe they would be able to splash around for a bit before coming home.

Pinkie began to walk forward, but stopped when she heard Inkie scream at her from behind her. “Father says we aren’t supposed to go near you, you crazy bitch!” Pinkie froze, Inkies words ringing in her ears. Crazy…

“He… He called me…” She giggled slightly, hearing the echoing in her head. Father calls you Crazy… Crazy Crazy Crazy Pinkie… “H-He really… thinks I’m crazy?... M-maybe I need to SHOW him how Crazy I am…”

Inkie took a frightened step back as Blinkie cowered under her hooves, sobbing. Inkie was panting in fright, her breath ragged. She shouldn’t have spoken out of turn. “P-Please, P-Pinkie, don’t be mad! I-I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t mean to say that! I-I’m y-your favorite sister, r-right? RIGHT?!”

Pinkie turned to them, eyes wide. She giggled, stomping her hoof on the ground to silence her sisters screaming. “S-s-sister,” she said, trying hard to speak through her laughter. “S-silly… I’m not Pinkie anymore.” She grinned. “Run.”

Inkie ran. She ran and ran as Blinkie cowered on the forest floor. Diane was unconcerned for Blinkies welfare at this point and walked slowly away, walking after Inkie. Meanwhile, in the background of the memories, the grown Pinkie watched, her face striken with fear… and regret. It had been a game… Demon Tag. One demon, many victims. The winning prize was a part of the victim. Typically, teeth.

The young Pinkie giggled, her voice ringing out in the quiet forest. “1…2…3… Demon coming for me… 4…5…6… Bear in mind her tricks… 7…8…9… Always following behind… 10…11…12… It’s the game that never ends~” Pinkie laughed suddenly, seeing a flash of a grey coat in the trees. She began to run closer to the grey coated mare, laughing, flecks of foam coming out of her mouth. She had lost all control. She was mad.

The grown Diane sobbed, seeing everything happen in slow motion. Everything she had missed when she was young. Inkie was running too fast… she had never seen the cliff. She stopped just in time… but Pinkie was going fast as well. With a slight, accidental push, Inkie went over the edge… to the quarry.

The young Pinkie caught her sisters hoof just in time. Her eyes were wide with fear. She hadn’t meant for this to happen! She had only wanted her sisters to fear her. If they feared her, then the pain would go away! They wouldn’t hurt her. B-but to lose her only sisters?! “I-Inkie, hold on! I’ve got you!” Pinkie saw Inkie sobbing. Her sisters tears infuriated her. “I-INKIE HOLD ON! JUST HOLD ONTO MY HOOF!” Pinkie gasped slightly as Inkie began to slip out of her hooves. She held onto her sisters hoof tightly, nearly enough to break it. “DON’T LET GO, INKIE! DON’T YOU DARE LET GO! I-INKIE, N-NO!”

Pinkie felt tears roll down her face as she heard her sister speak in a slow, tired, worn out voice. “I tried so hard, Pinkie… I tried so hard to be my best… No matter how hard I tried, though… you always hurt me… and now?...” Inkie looked up at Diane, tears rolling down her face… and a small smile there. Pinkie felt torn in two. H-her sister… Her sister was smiling… and it broke her heart. “I don’t want to play this game anymore.”

Both Pinkies watched… as their sister fell… down… down… down.

The quarry wasn’t as flooded as Pinkie had first thought. At least, it was shallow enough for Diane to hear the bones in her sisters body snap as the hit the rocks. It was deep enough, however, to carry her out to the middle of the quarry, the deepest part. Blood swirled through the water… and her sister was lost to her forever, beneath the murky waters.