Connected

The rain continued to flow around me in relentless sheets as I walked, unpleasant as the situation was I suppose looking back it was necessary. The injured pony wasn't too far from me; I could feel the dread they put out barraging my skull with each step closer. I felt uneasy, cold and bitter. Occasionally I would hear a whimper through the static of falling water; it was a tool I had grown used to using and it strengthening my direction. My hooves would have ached if I could have felt them this far into my trip. The only company to the dull throb was my long blade bouncing ever so lightly against my side.

I knew I wasn’t far now, my stomach turned up in knots and I felt like vomiting. It almost seemed reasonable to run for the thickest tree and smash my head against it to quite the connection to the condemned pony. I stopped and let out a cold breath, relishing the moment until I was forced back into the mind of my forest’s guest.

Instead I pushed forward, ignoring the numb pain through the woods. Another crack of thunder brought another disembodied whimper to me, every falling drop doubled in feeling across my coat, every brush of wind ghostly to the still air around me. I sped up, trotting through the dense wood. I not far ahead I found an escape; I ducked into a small clearing near a stream I could barely hear over the storm. That's where I found her, at the end of her own pathetic mud trail, slowing inching herself toward a makeshift tent. I moved from her vision, my black form hiding me against the backdrop. A unicorn it looked like, she moved slowly, using what energy she could force to push a little closer to a false salvation.

I pulled my blade out as quietly as I could manage and clipped it to my foreleg, soon she would tire and my mercy could give her final deliverance. I could have felt pity for the young pony; it was a shame to see such a life wasted in these woods. I focused into her mind a little, perhaps drawing some comfort to the surface by getting to know her in a way only I could.  She paused for a moment, mid-step in the mud and looked up. Despite the unforgiving rain she lifted her head to the sky, eyes open and fixed on their target.

Me

I froze, feeling a shred of hesitation as our eyes locked. I was suddenly submerged in fear, her fear as she scanned the dark outline of my weapon hanging off my forelimb. I opened my mouth, to this very day I do not know why I did so, I felt the need to apologize, to give some comfort in her final moments of pure terror.

I spoke calmly, a practiced skill for my kind. "It's alright; I'm here to help you." Honestly, it wasn't a lie. I did intend to end her pain, and mine with it.

The mare lowered her eyes and craned her neck to inspect her body, I found myself doing the same. Across her entire body pale blue was matted by dark mud and debris from the ground, her rear leg lay limp and lifeless behind her, digging a shallow trench as she had pulled herself. Her horn lit briefly and quickly died out, any efforts lost in the static of the storm.

"Please..." she choked in a pained breath. I knew what she wanted, but I could not deliver, I had long since exhausted my capability for compassion toward these pathetic creatures. I removed my blade for the time being, if nothing I could fake the gesture for her, she didn't need to know when the end would strike. It didn't go without notice, and to my surprise brought a sly grin to her face.

"heh," she laughed, "Oh, aren't you an interesting..." the mares eyes fell and she fought to regain control as a surge of pain rocked her body, I hid my suffering from her. "...creature?" she finally finished, connecting her gaze with my own once more. "You mean to kill Trixie correct?"

I shouldn't lie, what difference would there have been if I had told her my intentions, she would not understand nor live long enough for it to matter. I answered her simply, "No."

"Do not..." she grunted and her head dropped as she struggled to hold herself up to see me, I dropped to my knees and brought a hoof under her chin. ”Do not... lie... to Trixie..." she almost growled between breaths.

"I felt you coming, I kno-" she lost her grip and faltered. "You want to protect yourself, pathetic creature." Her horn lit once more, weakly forcing her magic through the air and grabbing my weapon.

"Wait! What do you think you are doing?" I jumped back as a haphazard slash was forced in my direction. She was straining under its weight, struggling to keep it aloft.

I stared deep at her, grabbing for anything within her mind that might allow me to end this quickly. A bolt of pure pain rocked my body and she attempted to move her injured lower body, I was consumed by her instantly and allowed my body to falter. The unicorn had doubled what magic I was allowed back onto me, pushing forcefully into my mind, I pity her for what she may have seen still today.

"Trixie cannot be tricked... so easily.” She gave me a wry smile through the pain that rocked us both. “You hide now... But she will find... Uhhg." My blade fell as she slid into the soft ground with a light thud, the loss of magical energy returning us to darkness. I waited for a moment and watched her body rise and fall quickly and sharply under pained breaths. I quickly grabbed my blade away and slid it into its sheath. The weather would have taken care of her for me now had I chose to leave her; while unconscious I was able to escape her pain until the end arrived. She twitched a few times, reactions no doubt to the cold water, I fought myself for a moment,

Damn my weakness…

I grabbed her body and slid her back where my wings might offer some support, flying was in no way an option with this kind of weight, and I would have to walk the path once again. With her shivering body pressed into my back I moved forward, each step forcing my to pull my hoofs from a mud prison.

~~~

I heard a groan from the far side of the room where the pale blue mass laid; my attentions fell to it as they had been the entire night. She shuffled her hoofs across the floor, unable to grip the slick wood and falling. Pale sunlight crept through the cracks in the walls, draping her body in thin streaks; I avoided the light as I walked to her. She must have heard my hoof steps but gave no indication that she was aware of my presence.

"Try not to struggle; the bandages must not be disturbed." I warned calmly, she refused, attempting to roll over toward me. With perhaps more force than necessary I pushed my hoof into her side, careful not to disturb the injuries too much but with more than enough to make my point. She let out a quiet whimper from the pain and lay still again. "Do not move, I will not re-tie those if you ruin them." The gesture worked and she returned to her previous position watching the wall do nothing.

"Where have you taken Trixie?" she asked after a pause.

"To another shelter, yours had flooded."

"Why?"

I paused; she lifted her head slightly but made no effort to move her body.

"What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why did you not kill Trixie?"

Does this stupid mare always refer to herself by name? No matter, a good question deserves a good answer I suppose. "Your injuries are not fatal if given care, I did not want you to attract timber wolves, and they make a mess that I do not wish to deal with."

She dropped her head with a sigh; I turned away from her and trotted out the opening where a door once stood. It was late in the morning but morning none the less; I grabbed a worn pair of worn saddlebags from beside the house and tossed them over my back. Today I would need to go in search of more food; I assumed I would be feeding the unicorn as well now. She had better be worth the trouble.

~~~

I returned a short while later, the sun arching high over my head now and the ground drying around me. Not all good storms can last, shame really. The small shelter had survived once again, taking little damage from the previous night, I could give a better inspection once I was free of my guest. Casually trotting in I dropped the saddlebags onto the floor and turned to the figure laying still by the wall as she had been before. I felt the energy around her pulse steadily, she was awake.

"I brought food; you need to eat if you want to heal." I tossed a pile of berries onto a one of the bowls once left in the house with a few wilted wild flowers and trotted to her, still at her back as she faced the wall. "I know you're awake, you cannot trick me so easily either." I trotted to around the pony to have her face me.

"Now eat, how else are you-" my words caught in the pool of tears slowly gathering in her coat and mane across the floor. She made no effort to look in my direction, simply staring at the floor and occasionally letting out a stifled sob.

I sat the bowl by her head and backed away a few feet. "If you do not eat, you will die."

She said nothing, continuing her blank stare at the floor before us.

"You're welcome" I said flatly, leaving her to the corner. Ponies are weak creatures by nature, I suppose I shouldn't expect any different from this poor excuse of a unicorn. I felt uneasy in the home, a familiar scream echoed in my mind, this time with an accompanying throb, something was coming together, but I couldn’t make out just what yet. I pushed it deep into my mind where I prayed it would die with the remaining bits of my empathy. Something very strange was happening, and this unicorn was an outlet for something even I had learned to fear.