Wish: Book II - The Truth

Chapter 4: A Hope

I want to ask just how exactly does he know this place, but he bolts off up and down the hills ahead before I could even put the words together. Candle Light and I clumsily follow behind desperately trying to keep up. We work our way around the wide trunk of the tree until we find the front door. It’s covered in ice, and as Valiari tries to turn the knob he realizes that the ice has frozen it in place. Frustrated he decides to give his back to the door and kick it open with one swift kick from his back legs. Shards of ice and the screws that held the door’s hinges together fly into the hollow trunk and pitter patter against the floor.

As we enter with the sounds of our steps mixed with the crunching of ice we take a minute to scan the room. In the center of the room lies a round rug, and along the walls of the trunk are shelves built right into the wood filled with books. The entire room is coated in sparkling crystals of frost as the green glow from the stone reflects off of their surface. Candle Light cowers behind my legs once a crash in the sky sends her affright.

“Hello?! Anypony home?!” Valiari calls.

Walking further into the home we pass by a doorway that looks like it goes into a kitchen as I see pots and pans scattered all along the floor. The streaks of light outside invade the home through the open windows partnered with the whistle of the wind. Valiari lets out a gasp as the green glow illuminates a staircase leading upward.

“The stairs! Quick let’s go!” He urges.

On his command both Candle Light and I hurry with him up the staircase. We are brought into a much larger room, more shelves of books line the inside of the trunk, and along the walls are carved very intricate and decorative designs. In the shelves are not just books, but glass beakers filled with some kind of liquid which I’m sure is frozen. Books have been thrown off the shelves and sprawled across the floor. There’s a smaller staircase that leads up to a bed near a large window, its blanket is designed with crescent Moons and suns. Scattered around the room are vases filled with wilted flowers also covered in frost.

Along the floor are pieces of burnt paper, and all the books along the ground appear to have been torn apart. We glide our eyes across the floor following the ashes to a pile of charred sheets of paper. One the other side of the black and gray mass I see two large lumps of something. Valiari and I move closer to get a better look at them, and I find that they are not what I had expected. Huddled behind the pile of ash is a violet coated mare with a horn protruding from the base of her forehead. A flat dark purple mane with pink highlights nearly covers her eyes which are closed. It appears as though she’s sleeping, but her entire body is covered in frost. Cuddled near her stomach is the smaller body of a little reptilian creature. Its scales are purple just like the mare, but from the top of its head all the way down to its tail are rounded green spines.

“It’s a mare!” He exclaims rushing to her motionless body. “She . . . She’s so cold. Same goes for her little lizard pet here. Aireal quick! Go grab some books from the shelves and bring them here!”

On his command I turn and hurry with my mind running crazily to the shelves tearing the books right out from their places and stuffing them between my arms.

“Candle Light sweetheart go stay over there okay?” He asks while pointing to the wall farthest from the two frozen bodies.

She worriedly backs away to the wall staring at Valiari as he tends to the two bodies. He removes his black clothing revealing a brown jacket with a tall collar similar to mine. Stuffed in its pockets are paintbrushes of many different sizes. Around his neck is a smaller torn white scarf tucked in behind his white buttoned shirt. With the big black cape out of the way I can clearly see his legs and the white pants that cover them. The white cloth is stained with splotches of multiple colors. Black shoes cover his hind hooves, which are just like the rest of his clothes, old and worn. He uses his mass of black stitched clothing to cover the mare and the creature beside her to hopefully generate some warmth.

As I bring handfuls of books into the cradle that is my arms my eyes are caught by one particular book. The shine of the silver lettering and the elegant swirls of the cursive lettering guides my eyes across the title as they struggle to make out the words: “The Tale of the Mare of the Snow”. The title arises my interest, and I am tempted to open the front cover.

“Aireal come on hurry!” Valiari urges.

Reminded of the task I was given I frantically shove the book back on the shelf and grab two other books instead. With the bushel of books in my arms I rush back to Valiari’s side careful not to drop any of them as the corners of their covers dig into my arms.

“Alright good, now just set them here.”

I lay them down in the nest of ash as Valiari wastes no time to open them all up and tear them to shreds. After they’ve all been decimated he gathers the remains together in one huge bundle and even throws in the spines of the books. He then digs around inside his big black bag and pulls out a small little box. He opens up the little compartment inside to reveal several small little sticks, and after removing one with his teeth he strikes it against the side of the box. The top of the stick grows a small orange flame, and he drops it into the pile of shredded paper. A much larger flame develops as the paper is being reduced to orange embers, and as it continues to grow Valiari then places the glowing stone in between the two bodies.

“We need all the warmth we can get. I felt around for a pulse, and I swear I could feel the slight beating of her heart. As for the lizard, well he’s cold-blooded anyway so I’m sure he’s fine . . . yeah he should be fine. Anyway, we need to just give it some time. Hopefully they wake up soon. For now, why don’t we all take a rest? I think we could use it. . . Candle Light, I think you should try to get some sleep. Aireal and I will stay awake to keep watch in case we see your Mother, okay?” Valiari says.

“Okay.” She says.

As the fire crackles in the center of the room we all try to make ourselves comfortable around the room. Candle Light takes off her little white bag from her back and pulls out a little blanket to cover herself with. After a while she does manage to fall asleep peacefully, and Valiari and I are resting against one of the book shelves switching our attention between Candle Light, hoping that she would be able to sleep, and the pony and lizard, watching as the frost melts from their bodies.

“I didn’t think she’d actually get to sleep.” Valiari whispers. “So now, I’m going to tell you something, and you keep it between us alright? I don’t want her to know. . . I don’t think her Mother will be showing up any time soon. Now I know that sounds a bit harsh, but just look at what’s happened. One second she’s with us, and then the next she’s gone without a trace. I know there was something in those woods. It surrounded us, it attacked me, and then it took her right out from under us. Now I . . .”

Valiari rests his head all the way back and stares up at the ceiling lost in thought.

“Now I don’t know what to do. . . Well, let me thank you for what you did earlier. For doing what I said about Candle Light, it really helped. I’m sure she feels safe knowing that you’re here.”

“. . . Valiari?” I ask.

“Hm?”

“You said she and I were friends?”

“That’s right.”

“How? What happened?”

“Oh, well, when we came to that little town I was wondering why it looked so familiar. And then I realized, we’ve been there before. A long time ago you and I, we were just passing by one night. And then we found that little town, Shine Village it was called. Ironic though, because from what I remember that little town didn’t have much of anything. Poor housing, poor conditions, everything about it just seemed . . . depressing. But that night, their town glowed brightly. From the skies explosions of furious color joined the stars, and crowds of ponies were all gathered at the spectacle. Turned out somepony also came to visit their town, a traveling magician, and she filled them with awe and wonder once she performed. But, we found one little filly who was separate from the event. It just didn’t look right, nopony deserved to be isolated that night especially not a young little filly such as her. So we went up to her, and we asked what the matter was. But she didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t even look up at us.”

“Why?”

“She wouldn’t say. But you, you were able to get her attention. You might not believe it, but you used to be quite skillful with your words. When you spoke to her, you were able to bring a smile to her face. And before we left, you took out a little bag from your pocket, and you brought out that stone. You always collected them from the caves when you got the chance. You gave it to her as a gift, and at that moment you and her promised you’d always be friends.”

“Th-That happened?”

“Indeed it did.”

“I . . . I wish I could remember.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get your memory back sooner or later. Try not to think about it too much though, you should try to get some sleep.” He says while fixing his bag on the ground and laying his head atop it like a pillow.

“What else can you tell me?” I ask curiously still wanting to know more.

“What do you mean?”

“About me, what else can you tell me?”

“Well, what do you want to know?”

“What um . . . what was I like?”

“Hm, let’s see. . . You were very soft spoken, but you were very kind, very caring for others. And at times, when things would get rough, you were brave. You were, and still are, a good friend. Actually . . . my only friend.”

“. . . Really?”

“That’s right. I remember the days when I started my painting career, I had no time for friends. I was always worried about when my next inspiration would come. I spent so many years keeping myself isolated from everypony, but when you came around I felt . . . happy. I remember the day we met face to face. I don’t think I had ever been so overjoyed to see another face. When you and I were together, it felt like we had already been friends for as long as I could remember. I’ll never forget the . . .” Valiari all of a sudden just trails off in a long pause. “N-Nevermind, we should get some sleep. I hope those two wake up soon. If not then, I suppose we’ll just have to keep moving. Because if they don’t wake up by then well . . . there’s nothing else we can do for them I’m afraid. And Aireal, remember, you don’t tell Candle Light anything about what we’ve talked about.”

“I won’t tell her.”

And with that Valiari turns over to try and make himself comfortable. I, still wide awake, am left to think about the words Valiari had spoken. He said that I was brave at times, but I’m not too sure if I can believe that. All this time I’ve been hiding, cowering. I suppose that’s a part of me I’ll never see again. Brave, now I can’t stop thinking about it. If I was brave I wouldn’t have ran away from the dark to the safety of Valiari’s side. I wouldn’t have cowered while Candle Light’s Mother was being taken away. Maybe I’ll never be the same as I was before.

Valiari said that I was his only friend. And after all the things he said about our supposed friendship it brings back that feeling of guilt. Except this time it’s different. It isn’t just guilt, it’s enhanced with sadness. If only I could be that same friend I was before, because right now, I feel like a complete stranger to him and this whole world around me. It sounds like the friendship we had was something great, but right now I don’t even understand what a friendship feels like. All these thoughts bouncing about in my skull makes me feel like I want to just tear my own hair out. There’s no way I’ll be able to get to sleep.

Time passes me by as I stare up at the ceiling hoping that soon they’ll grow tired, but not even the monotonousness staring can weaken my eye lids. Unless . . . perhaps that book I saw earlier can wash away some of this tension. Quietly I get up careful not to disturb Valiari or Candle Light with my steps. I lift the book up off from the shelf where I left it and set myself back down near Valiari. Lifting up the front cover I meet the first chapter of the book, and so I let my eyes travel across the page straining to recognize the words. The more I read the clearer the words become, and the story begins to take shape.

Once upon a time, on a dark night where the blackened clouds hid the Moon as they rained their tears from the sky, a lonely mare sat safely under the roof of her favorite café. Her soaked baby blue mane laid flat over her eyes, and her white coat shined under the lamp light that hung from the ceiling. In the pocket of her drenched white dress she took out a little golden coin, and she set it on the wooden table hiding it from sight. She was going to use that coin during her usual walk through the park.

That morning the sun shone through the window of the sky stretching its rays of light over the little town. The mare walked down the dirt path as the whistling of the wind through the branches of the trees carried the browned dying leaves across her path. She was on her way to her usual spot, the fountain that spewed crystal clear water through the mouths of two pegasi sculpted in flying positions. She would always sit on the edge of the fountain, close her eyes, clench the coin in her hooves, and after a deep breath she would toss it into the water. Before the coin broke the surface of the water she would make a wish, a wish for the same thing every time: to meet a heart to join hers. Every time she made that wish she always felt silly and pitiful.

Today she didn’t have a chance to make her wish, for as she walked between the tall hedges and evergreen trees she stumbled upon a group of young fillies. She walked right in the middle of their game, and they all stopped to stare at her. She apologizes for interrupting them, but they seemed very excited to meet somepony new. They asked if she wanted to join them, but she refused. She felt guilty for doing so, but she just wasn’t in the mood for games. They begged and begged, and so she finally gave in to their demands. One of the little fillies shouted, “You’re it!” And so she began to chase and catch each of them one by one. To her surprise, they were faster than she thought. By the end she was exhausted, but the fillies begged on to play again. And with the first spark of happiness she had felt in a long time, she agreed.

They played until the sun suddenly began to tuck itself under the graying blankets, and the skies roared with thunder. The fillies ran home, and the mare had to trot to the nearest place, the café. Her hooves quickly became covered in mud as well as the bottom of her dress, and she was relieved to rush through the front door of the shop. She was immediately greeted by Giano, the owner of the coffee shop. He was wearing his signature white apron, and he had his combed brown mane and mustache along with his caramel coat. He was well acquainted with her, in fact, you could almost call them best friends. She would always come in and it would most of the time just be them talking the time away. As soon as he saw her drenched in rain her hurried to her side with a towel and walked her to a seat.

As he prepared a complimentary cup of coffee for her she took out the coin she was going to toss into the fountain, and set it to the side of the table. Once Giano returned he noticed the coin, and so he knew what she was planning. He knew about her dreams and what she wanted most in life, and he knew it was time for another talk. He didn’t want to attack her with his words, he wanted to be gentle. So he ignored the coin on the table and simply asked her if something was bothering her. Of course she denied, but soon she confessed. She expressed how ashamed she was for even believing in such nonsense, but Giano tried to reiterate what he had told her many times before. He told her that in time she would find the right pony, or he just might find her. He told her never to go back on her wish, “A wish is like a promise. Once you make one you should never, under any circumstances, go back on it. As long as you hold it in your heart it will surely shine through someday, you just have to give it time.” He said.

That seemed to cheer her up as she moved her wet hair away from her lush blue eyes and the joyous smile he was hoping to see. She couldn’t deny what he said was true. She always felt there was something about Giano that stood out to her, he always knew what to say. He was right about almost everything, and this wasn’t the first time he had put a smile on her face. Just then they heard the jingling of the bell meaning somepony had just entered the shop. A stallion in a brown overcoat sat at the counter a few stools away from the mare, and he is greeted warmly by Giano. After a friendly hello he orders a cup of black coffee, and so Giano goes to prepare it. Once he returns the stallion digs around in his pockets for his money, but he soon realizes that he’s left his wallet at home. The mare remembers the coin she set on the table, she knows she won’t be needing it anymore, so she offers it to the stallion to pay for his coffee. He refused, but the mare persisted. After finally accepting her offer he handed Giano the coin. He then learned that the stallion was new in town, and after a warm welcome he quickly left the dining room before he could say another word. But not without a quick subtle wink to the mare.

She knew what he was doing, but she didn’t think he’d actually leave her alone. Alone with nothing but silence amongst them, the stallion thanked her for paying for his drink. Afterwards they introduced each other. The mare told him her name was Meriva, and his was Dawston. And it was from there their eyes finally met, and they soon realized they couldn’t turn away. They didn’t know it, but a spark had just ignited within both their hearts, and from here it would grow into a much stronger fire. They spent days and nights together, talking and learning about each other’s thoughts and hearts. They began to grow closer together, and for the first time in years, Meriva woke up every day with a smile on her face to something she hadn’t heard before, the sound of chirping birds. Usually, the birds never sing around her home.

Back at the café Giano had to endure countless days without a single sight of his friend. She never so much as crossed the road where his shop laid. But one morning, he heard the jingling of the bell. And there she was, looking brighter than any other time he had seen her. She apologized for the long passage of time without a single hello, but came with great news. She spoke about how she and Dawston and the feelings that have built up inside her. Giano couldn’t have been happier to see his friend glow with such emotions. But, she spoke about something that made his heart shudder with fear. She said that Dawston had planned on taking a trip up to the Snowy Mountains, and he wanted Meriva to join him. Their little town was built near the Mountains, and so he thought it would be the perfect trip because of the convenience. He told her that once you reached a certain spot, and you looked out to the horizon, you would see a sight that your eyes would thank you for. Meriva was full of excitement, but Giano immediately shunned it for he needed to express the severity of the situation. He told her a trip to the Mountains would be too dangerous, he didn’t want her to get hurt. He told her that it’s always a blizzard up there, the winds are too strong, and the cold is unbearable.

She assured him that everything would fine, and that she would be careful. Dawston had told her that everything would be just fine. But that is what worried Giano the most. He told her that he has beginning to grow suspicions about Dawston, that perhaps something about him just wasn’t right. Meriva, stunned by his words, began to go on the defensive. Giano tried to convince her she had the wrong idea about what he was saying, but she kept up her argument. She called him jealous, and that he just didn’t understand her. With a heated heart she trotted out of his shop with a slam of the door. Giano couldn’t believe his eyes, he knew that he had just made a mistake. So he watched as his one and only friend left his shop, full of anger and hate. He began to question himself, perhaps he really was jealous. As he sat still in shock, all the ponies that were enjoying their coffee were staring at him. He wanted to chase after Meriva, but he knew that it wouldn’t solve anything.

Meriva trotted far away, but she stopped and glanced back at Giano’s shop. She thought what she was doing was wrong, and she should go apologize. Instead, with tears in her eyes, she turned around, and continued down the road. Days later, she packed what she needed and she and Dawston left town to the Mountains. They went higher and higher, and soon they noticed that the clouds were darkening, and the winds were starting to pick up. But they kept going. It began to snow, and the higher they went, the heavier it became. Soon, the winds were so strong they could barely take a step forward. The clouds became so dark they could barely see the path ahead, but still they kept going. Meriva could feel the fear building up inside her, but Dawston was prepared to keep her safe. He assured her that there was a cave somewhere where they could stay and wait out the storm. He grabbed and held tightly onto her hoof. They continued to push themselves through the wall of wind and snow, until suddenly Dawston’s hoof left hers.

She cries and shouts his name, but she receives no response. Alone and lost she wanders the storm, her hooves and ears are numbing, and her throat aches from the screaming. Her tears have frozen onto her cheeks as she desperately tries to find some place safe. Beneath her the ground suddenly gave way, sending her sliding down the side of the mountain. Her body bounced off of the rocky sides, and her legs slammed into a tree trunk before the slope became less steep allowing her to slow down. Because of her speed she slipped off the edge, but she caught it just in time as her aching body dangles painfully off the cliff. The pain was unbearable, and she could feel her grip lessening. She watched as her fore-legs shook trying desperately to hang on, but it was no use. She plummeted down into a pile of snow, her bones in her legs felt like broken glass, and her sides felt like they were on fire. She could feel her heart slowing, and her breathing calming. Her vision was darkening as her eye lids began to close.

Everything then went pitch black, the pain stopped, it seemed to be blissful. It felt as if gravity was now ignoring her, and all the cold had for some reason just vanished. However, she could still feel her fore-legs, she could still breathe. So she opened the gates to her eyes, and she found herself soaring through the air around the mountain. The black clouds have disappeared and made way for the sparkling stars. She didn’t know why, but she felt happy. She stretched out her fore-legs like how a bird stretches out its wings, and she let the wind carry her all around the mountain. Until she noticed something down below. The winds slowed, and she lowered herself down to the snowy ground. What she saw sent her senses affright.

She saw her body buried in the snow. When she looked at herself, she saw that her body has become transparent, her coat and even the white dress she wore. She found her legs have been replaced by a smoky wisp, and she gasped at the sight. Frantic she flew up and around the mountain looking for the one that could possibly comfort her, Dawston. But he was nowhere in sight. She searched all the way until she reached the top and immediately covered her eyes as she cried. Her tears fell through the air, but they disappeared after falling so far. Opening her eyes she could see that through her hooves were lights in the distance. Upon lowering them down she saw her town; and so, like an instinct, aimed for next thing to ease the tension in her mind, hopeful to find help. She flew home.

My eyes have finally grown tired, and so has the rest of my body. I let the book fall from the grip of my fingers and onto my stomach. I don’t remember what chapter I left off on, but that story made me feel so many different things. Things like sadness, fear, happiness; it’s incredible what simply reading words can invoke in the mind. Perhaps I’ll pick this story back up again some other time, right now I already am having trouble holding open my eyes. Valiari by now is deep in his sleep as his snores fill the room, and surprisingly Candle Light is still under her tiny blanket sleeping peacefully. I just hope that I can still be that same friend Valiari once had, or will I continue to just be a useless outline of who I used to be. My head leans down onto my shoulder, and my weary eyes close without warning. I can feel myself drifting away to a rest I have been waiting for, and I let the sounds of the crackling flames carry me.

“. . . He’s lying to you. . .”