The cool evening air wrapped around the two mares as they walked down the dirt road. Several stars were starting to flicker into the slowly dimming light of the sunset hour. The path was slightly over grown with weeds. Twilight Sparkle and Apple Jack were just coming back from several hour trip to a nearby town. Twilight had gone to the town in search of a book she had ordered but could not be delivered directly to Ponyville. Apple jack ha gone to deliver an order of several types of apples. The two friends had decided to go together, it being a rather long and dull trip, a friend was always a good thing to have on such a trip.
Twilight stopped mid sentence as something caught her eyes. "What is it Twilight?" Apple jack questioned.
"I'm not sure. I thought I saw something, or somepony." she replied. Her gaze falling on an old broken down old shack. Apple Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Why would anypony want to go in their? I think your imagination is gettin' the better of ya Twi'." Apple Jack replied with a slight shrug. But Twilight was not so easily deterred. "You want to go check it out, don't ya?" Apple Jack said.
Twilight nodded. "You can leave your cart here, it'll be fine. I just want to be sure of what I saw." Twilight waited patiently as Apple Jack unhitched herself from the cart. What Twilight didn't tell her friend was that she thought she saw a filly, perhaps two. But that would seem crazy, just something her tired mind had made up. Twilight poked her head through the creaky old door. She lite her horn. "Hello? Anypony here?" she called tentatively. It was quiet for several minute before Apple jack broke the silence.
"Twilight there aint nopony here. Its getting dark, we should be getting home sugar cube." Twilight was a bout to reply when something landed against the ground with an echoing thud, followed by a squeak. Twilight cast her light towards the sound. A retreating green tail was all the pair could glimpse.
"P-please, d-don't." a small voice squeaked. Apple Jack gave Twilight a surprised glance. twilight returned it with a nearly as surprised glance of her own. "T-turn off the light. We don't want to be seen." The small voice continued. Twilight dimmed the light.
"We? There two of ya?" Apple Jack asked the darkness. Squinting, trying to see through the dusty darkness to see the owner of the voice.
"Y-yes. Yes there are two of us." the voice's owner replied.
Twilight blinked. "May I ask why you don't want to be seen? I promise we won't hurt you. My name is Twilight Sparkle and this is my friend Apple Jack." Twilight was confused. Did this pony, or ponies, think they were really going to hurt them? The silence continued for several minutes.
Apple Jack cleared her throat. "Now dear if you wouldn't mind telling us-" the mysterious voice stopped her.
"Oh! S-sorry. My my sister was just telling me something. No we we don't think your here to hurt us. We, we just don't think its the best Idea to show ourselves. Um bad past experiences." The voice said quietly. Twilight's brow wrinkled in thought. She gave Apple Jack and inquiring glance, the orange earth pony simply shrugged.
"Excuse me but nopony spoke, how is it possible that she was telling you something?" The alicorn asked. Again silence, all except for the steady and low chirping of crickets out side, and probably inside. Apple jack let out an exasperated sigh. The mysterious ponies shuffled in the back reaches of the shack.
"Now might you tell us anythin'? We just want ta help you girls. Now don't yall have parents, family maybe? Theres no reason any filly should be in a place like this. Especially when it is starting to get chilly at night." Apple Jack's green eyes narrowed and seemed to add a new small light to the dimness.
"Well um, we don't have a home really. Same with parents. And uh its hard to explain how she talks to me. I just know what she wants to say. She can't talk." the voice went silent once more.
Apple Jack sighed. She wanted to help she really did. But how was she supposed to when she couldn't even see the fillies? Twilight was more patient. She cleared her throat. "Why do you girls stay here? Its not terribly warm at night." twilight said into the darkness. Already she could feel the crisp night air pricking into her fur. "There are plenty of places you could stay in ponyville. No pony would turn away two fillies in need." Again silence filled the darkness. Finally the voice spoke up again.
"Sorry to sound rude but Miss. Sparkle, you are wrong." Twilight raised an eyebrow, what she spoke was true. She simply knew it. Before she could reply though the filly's voice continued. "No-pony would want somepony like...like..." The voice faltered. "Like us." she decided. "No-pony wants a different pony, a weird looking pony.....a a m-mon-monster, a f-freak staying with t-them." The statement was filled with choking sobs. Both mares stared toward the voice's location, they're mouths hanging open. A monster? Who would call any pony, especially a filly, a monster? A freak? Who could be so cruel?
B-b-but..." Twilight could not find any words, this was odd for her. Apple jack was silent for a little longer than Twilight. Finding her voice she finally spoke up.
"Now thats ridiculous! No filly is a monster! Who told you such a confounded thing!?" anger was very evident in her voice.
"Too many to count." The voice said.
"Please we promise we would never say such a thing. We jsut want to help." Twilight spoke now. The silence was shorter this time.
"Thats what everypony says. But its never true."
The two mares gave each other withering glances. "Alright, don't show yourself then. But would it be alright if we visited you tomorrow? And Help you that way?" Twilight offered.
"I I guess so. If you want to." the voice replied.
"Alright then. Could we know your names?" Apple Jack asked.
"Yeah. My name is Lysa and my sister's name is Lil."
Twilight and Apple Jack both returned to their homes, explaining to their families or in Twilight's case a rather worried Spike. Both began to collect items like pillows and blankets, and in Twilight's case simple books. The two mares met in town square prepared with the already collect items and bits. They had decided to get fresh foods that wouldn't go bad from the market that day, so they would be the freshest it could be. Twilight had even insisted on getting some possible art supplies, quills, ink and, she put extra importance on the last item, journals. When Apple Jack asked why she replied simply with, "It helps to write your thoughts down on paper from time to time."
Lysa took a deep breath. "You ok Lil?" she asked. Her sister had just stopped a horrendous coughing fit. Lil nodded, brushing a bit of main out of her mahogany eyes. "You sure?" Lysa asked agian. Again Lil nodded. 'I'm sure." her eyes seemed to say. Lysa sighed.
"Lysa? Lil? Are you two here? Its twilight and Apple Jack." Lysa's ears pricked up. They came back, just like they promised!
"Y-yes!" She called. Twilight and Apple Jack entered. A sigh escaping each's throat. The fillies were hiding again. "You came back." Lysa called.
Apple jack smiled. "Well of course we did Sugar cube. And we brought some things for you." Lysa looked at Lil, shocked. "W'ell leave 'em here for ya. I have to get going right now. But I promise I'll be back." Apple Jack nodded to Twilight as she left. Leaving the contents of her saddle bag in the shack. Twilight smiled.
"We brought you some food and blankets. And some pillows. I also got you each a journal and some ink and quills." Twilight said happily.
"T-thank you. Y-you didn't have to do this." Lysa said. Her sister was just as shocked. never in their lives, for as long as they could remember, no pony had ever shown them such kindness. Twilight smiled.
A small giggle escaping her mouth. "It wasn't a matter of having to. It was a matter of wanting to. I'll let you girls be so you can see all the goodies we got for you. I'll come by later to see how your doing." with that the purple alicorn stood and departed from the shack.
Lysa and Lil crept out of hiding. Their mouths hung open slightly as they saw the immense amount of items that Twilight and Apple Jack had brought them. Carefully they placed everything is its own spot and layed down under the largest blanket. Lil began to draw in her journal and Lysa began to write.
Dear Journal,
Hi. My name is Lysa. I'm your owner. And I just got you today from a pony I just met last night. Well that Lysa and I just met last night. But um yeah. I guess I'll just be writing stuff about our days in you and stuff. Twilight is the name of the pony who gave you to me. Lil was given one to, but shes useing her's for an art journal. Lil loves to draw, and i love to write. Not ony di Miss. Twilight give you to me but her and her friend Apple Jack gave us so much more to! This is the kindest thing any pony has ever done for us!
-Your owner,
Lysa
Twilight sat down at her desk later that night. She took out her own journal and began to write in it.
Dear Journal,
I know its been a while since i wrote in you, and I'm sorry for that. But to day, and last night, I have come to know two filies. Now I have never seen them. But their names are Lysa and Lil. Lil is mute so Lysa does most of the talking. Apple jack and i found them just last night when coming home from a visit to a nearby town. I'm sad to say the two have no home and have taken up residence in an old worn down shack just out side Ponyville. Apple Jack and I have given them some supplies, so they should be fine for now. Though we are hoping to earn their trust so that we can finally get to see them. I really want to help them. It troubles me to say that they don't show them selves because of some terrible things that have been said to them. I hope that Apple jack and can be of more help to them.
-Kindly your owner,
Twilight Sparkle
