Author's Note
A little something for Halloween. Regrettably, I didn't find nearly as much time as I would have liked, so it is still incomplete.
Enjoy.
A Fateful Wish
Fateful Wish
by Sinister Voice
Once upon a time in a magical land far away from what would one day be Equestria, in a time when the three tribes were still separated and the land was yet not tamed but wild, many creatures roamed the land – creatures that are nowadays not even mentioned in stories any longer.
It remembered its first thought – a thought that made it become more than a mere beast.
A thought born out of a wish – not its own wish mind you, but the wish of a little filly. A wish spoken in the moment of death. A wish for salvation – not for herself but for her family. A wish so beautiful and pure that it could give change.
And thus the beast became more.
It lifted its head and faced in the direction where it could hear, or rather feel, the filly’s last breath – a little village several miles away – and more uttered wishes, similar to the first, yet none nearly as potent.
So it turned completely and bounded towards the village, eagerness glinting in its eyes, eagerness to fulfill the wish.
And still its first thought gnawed in its mind – its first and the filly’s last.
HUNGER
Slowly a stallion lowered the small coffin into a hole, the ground hard and almost frozen, a small group of ponies stood nearby and watched – a mare and two foals, a colt and a filly, tears matting their coats. They watched as the third of the family’s foals was laid to rest. Sinking like the sun did towards the ground.
A pair of curious pupilless eyes watched from afar, out of the nearby woods’ shrubs. The family remained until nightfall before they finally left the forest of headstones. Slowly it slunk closer, sniffing the freshly filled grave and the small headstone. It did not know how but it knew what the signs on the stones spelled and that a mark sat on the flank of the buried filly, a mark that still glowed with the magic of its appearance when she had closed her eyes for the last time.
Fateful Wish
Cruelly, fate took her from us far too soon
For a moment the creature pressed its head against the stone then it followed the still fresh smell of the ponies down into the village and through the shadows, unseen from the few vigilant eyes.
The whispers of wishes sounded from everywhere in the village
“Gods help us…”
“... against the Unicorns!”
“...against the Pegasi!”
“...against the cold!”
“...against starvation!”
“...against our hunger!”
But for it these wishes did not matter, not from those ponies, after all, it was changed to help the dead filly’s family.
Finally it reached a small farmhouse at the other end of the village. The pall of sadness and despair in the air around the village was thickest here.The freshest, both the most foul and the most delicious.
Its long tongue greedily licked over its muzzle while its eyes darted over the house – there, an open window in the attic – a place to hide. And with a few soundless leaps up the wall it was inside.
Its ears twitched as the last of the ponies had finally fallen into a deep slumber– the sound of sobbing stopping.
It began to stalk through the farmhouse, no sound echoing from its clawed paws as it walked the halls, peeking into each room and watching the sleeping forms for a moment before it crept closer, lifting itself on its hindlegs and over each of the sleepers ere it wandered to the next. Holding its head at an angle it glanced down – and in their minds – sniffed out their desires, their fears, their wishes.
Then finally, it came upon the sole empty bed. A bed cold to the touch, yet for the creature the bed still felt warm, smelling of love and caring.
A fluent jump into the abandoned sheets where it rolled itself in. For this night it would still rest.
Its ears twitched as the last of the ponies had finally fallen into a deep slumber– the sound of sobbing stopping.
It began to stalk through the farmhouse, no sound echoing from its clawed paws as it walked the halls, peeking into each room and watching the sleeping forms for a moment before it crept closer, lifting itself on its hindlegs and over each of the sleepers ere it wandered to the next. Holding its head at an angle it glanced down – and in their minds – sniffed out their desires, their fears, their wishes.
Then finally, it came upon the sole empty bed. A bed cold to the touch, yet for the creature the bed still felt warm, smelling of love and caring.
A fluent jump into the abandoned sheets where it rolled itself in. For this night it would still rest.
–-
The next night it stalked through the town again, listening to the whispers of the village, a scent in its nose beckoning it. The terror of the villagers thrummed in the back of its mind – a group of Pegasi had arrived during the day, demanding food and shelter. Suddenly, pain arced through its head, accompanied by the nearby cry of a mare. There! The barn next to the tavern. Inside, the creature saw one of the intruders, bowed imposingly over the mare, his wings flared. Slowly the creature crept closer, unseen by the distracted Pegasus. Even its breath in his neck did not disturb the warrior in his deed.
Then its fangs sunk into the unarmoured flesh, pulling the Pegasus off the crying mare and throwing him across the barn. The crack of his wing accompanied him hitting the wall. Groaning he sunk to the floor, yet the creature was already upon him, looming over his form and its fangs came closer and closer. All while the mare watched on while tears matted the fur of her cheeks.
On its way to the rest of the intruders, their scent burning annoyingly in its nostrils, its eyes met the blue ones of the sobbing mare, who was still lying on the floor. Panic filled those azure pools when it came closer. It could smell that she was sure, that she would be next, and her silent screaming pleaded for her life in its mind. Slowly it then stepped over her, its sinuous tail softly caressing her features. Yet this made her only whimper more – as did the red liquid dripping from its maw.
Unseen it slunk through the inn the Pegasi had occupied, their scent leading it to their rooms.
Like the creature had done to its family it entered their rooms and bowed over them. Their dreams and wishes, however, did not matter, nor, in some of the rooms, the other occupants – some sobbing like the mare in the barn, some sleeping peacefully.
And each time its fangs drank deep.
When morning came, their places were left empty.
Author's Note
to be continued ... maybe next Halloween ... or maybe sooner ...
